The Final Battle
by Master Solo
Summary: What if events from DW to TUF were different? NJO continued for 20 years and it's up to the Jedi, especially the Solos, Ben , Sheng Lah, whom Sekot blessed with the Force, and Tenel Ka to put an end to the war.
1. Part 1: Intro

Disclaimer: I don't own SW and I don't own what I borrowed from the other worlds. The idea of a Yuuzhan Vong Jedi belongs to the author named Yuuzhan Vong Jedi on The songs that I translated and put in this aren't mine. I'm a mere translator. Only my characters and ideas are mine, so don't sue me. It's not worth as much as a cent if you do.

Title: The Final Battle of the Yuuzhan Vong War  
Summary: Dunno. Don't have the whole story written yet and I make things up as I write.  
Genre: General for now. Likely to change.  
Rating: PG   
Author: Sil or Master Solo (full nameﾁfs gonna take a while to write)

Dramatis Personae

Ben Skywalker; rogue Jedi apprentice (male human from Coruscant)  
Crestal Dagger; rogue pilot (female human from Hapes)  
Hul Rapuung; Leader of Shamed Ones (male Yuuzhan Vong from Domain Rapuung)  
Jacen Solo; Jedi Master, consort (male human from Coruscant)  
Jagged Fel; Baron (male human from some Chiss world)  
Jaina Solo; General, Jedi Master (female human from Coruscant)  
Jysella Horn; stranded Jedi Knight (female human from Corellia)  
Kodachi Cha; warmistress (female Yuuzhan Vong from Domain Cha)  
Murra Djo; Princess, Jedi child (female human from Hapes)  
Nom Anor; Prefect (male Yuuzhan Vong from Domain Anor)  
Nuren Lah; Leader of Shamed Ones (female Yuuzhan Vong from Domain Lah)  
Ona Cha; warrior (female Yuuzhan Vong from Domain Cha)  
Sa'eth Kwaad; Master Shaper (male Yuuzhan Vong from Domain Kwaad)  
Sheng Lah; Jedi Knight (male Yuuzhan Vong from Domain Lah)  
Sil Djo; Princess, Jedi apprentice (female human from Hapes)  
Taan; Leader of Shamed Ones (female Yuuzhan Vong from some worldship)  
Tahiri Veila; Jedi Master (female human from Tatooine)  
Tenel Ka Djo; Queen Mother, Jedi Master (female human from Dathomir/Hapes)

A chill went down the spine of the head shaper as he was informed of the failure of his last solution to the epidemic of the dovin basals and other animals guarding Yuuzhan'tar. He hoped to cure all the animals/instruments before Shimrra and the warmaster had the slightest clue. Like every high-ranking Yuuzhan Vong, his worst fear was the combined wraths of Overlord Shimrra and the new warmaster, or rather, warmistress. Perhaps he only feared the girl that now led the warriors, for even the Overlord was a child's toy compared to that woman when it came to striking fear.

Master Shaper Sa'eth Kwaad was the latest in the line of short-lived representatives of the shaper caste. The young shaper thought the day he received his eight-fingered hand was the happiest day of his life, but it was quite the opposite. His nightmares had begun on that day, when he had just received his eight-fingered hand. He witnessed a stunning, shaper-sized woman of the warrior caste taking the bleeding head of the admired warmaster Nas Choka by an ear implant in one hand and another part of his body in another.

He later learned that the girl, despite her size, had, with her bare hands, managed to tear the old warmaster apart piece by piece. Rumors had it that the female, whose name was Kodachi of domain Cha, had seduced, Shamed, threatened, and executed everyone on her massive 'dangerous' list to secure the rank of warmaster and as little as possible opposition. The more Sa'eth Kwaad knew, the more frequent were his nightmares of waking up next to Kodachi Cha and of being humiliated and Shamed, if not fed to the gods. The fact that Nas Choka's death and all of the following events were only a few months ago greatly heightened the shaper's fear of Cha.

While Sa'eth Kwaad was too busy worrying and covering up the epidemic for anyone that might come and inspect, he failed to notice a small, human hand steal some of the animals he kept for the purpose of memory.

-scene change-

A young Jedi gazed into the stars. Though she could not see any battles with the Yuuzhan Vong at the moment, she knew they were being fought as she honed the skills she would later use to fight the Yuuzhan Vong. The war had gone on for almost two decades now, and despite heavy casualties on all sides, no one gave in. The girl was one of the reasons the Jedi kept on fighting the Yuuzhan Vong with all their strength after Shimrra removed both Luke and Mara Jade Skywalker. 'For young Skywalker and the princess', everyone kept on saying.

The teenage girl had never seen the first leader of the Jedi (since the Battle of Endor) or his wife, having been born at around the time they visited Yuuzhan'tar for the final time, but she knew much about the Skywalkers thanks to her family and her Master.

The girl was about to use her Force-powers to rotate a group of rocks when she felt a summon from the palace behind her. She turned to meet the sight of a handmaiden trudging toward her. The girl was never comfortable with handmaidens and bodyguards, but they always came with princesses as involved politically as she was. At least whenever she was on the planet of her birth.

"Milady," the handmaiden panted. Although the young princess did not know what exactly was going on and was never good at mind reading, the speed and inside-out dress of her handmaiden revealed urgency.

"Ellen, where am I wanted? What is the reason of your hurry?" The Jedi responded. She hated being called 'milady', but few handmaidens in the entire span of her planet's history ever addressed their mistresses otherwise.

"Milady, the High Council and the Queen Mother want you on Zonama Sekot. The Trebuchet will escort you to the planet's current location." The handmaiden managed between gasps for air.

The princess preferred smaller ships, especially personal ships, but her tremendous Force-powers and rank as heir guaranteed that she would never travel from her homeworld without a brand-new Battle Dragon as an escort. She thought. Oh well, Zonama Sekot means I get to see Father and a lot of my friends. Politics had kept the girlﾁfs family apart for months and she could not recall more than one occasion where her whole family was together.

"Ellen, get some rest. May the Force be with you."

As the princess boarded the ship, the sight of Tenel Ka Djo did not surprise her. The fourteen-year-old girl was one of the few people that knew of every occasion that the queen snuck out of Hapes. She knew that the 'woman' she saw in the gardens was a mere hologram of the Queen Mother.

"Sil, welcome aboard the Trebuchet." Tenel Ka said formally. Mentally, she challenged her daughter to a practice duel. Your next mission is of the utmost consequence to this galaxy and will require a very high degree of dueling skill. I must give you what training I can in the short amount of time you have, for the Council will definitely not send me.

Sil was not a normal Jedi child in terms of lightsabers. The princess, having spent several years with Shamed ex-warriors on Zonama Sekot, was only nine years old when she was deemed ready to construct her lightsaber. 

The young princess was on the verge of walking into a refresher when she realized that she had already changed out of her formal, tight-fitting dresses hours ago. She wrapped her fingers around her lightsaber stud and nodded slightly.

Jump. Flip. Lean to the side. Parry. Duck. Despite skillful defensive moves on the part of the brown-haired girl, Tenel Ka's turquoise blade was at Sil's neck. For the whole time in hyperspace, Sil dueled her mother, always losing to the one-armed woman despite being able to evade the blades of every other opponent she ever dueled. Whatever the Council was planning, Tenel Ka was pushing her daughter like no Jedi had ever done to a student or child of theirs..

Jacen absorbed what the head of the Intelligence Council told him. There was a breach in Yuuzhan'tar/Coruscant's defenses, and the Alliance has no idea how long the effects of the epidemic that had been spreading in the defense animals would last. That meant that the Galactic Alliance, if only momentarily, would have a slight chance of removing Shimrra and the ruthless beauty Kodachi Cha, fulfilling the Jedi's promise to the Shamed Ones, and ending the terrifying slaughter that had gone on for almost two decades. Surviving Myrkr, emerging from the world of the dead after Vergere's training, leading the team that brought Zonama Sekot into known space, and just being a wise and powerful Jedi guaranteed him his position in the High Council.

As usual, Jacen could sense through his twin bond that Jaina was hatching a battle plan. If any of her good traits rivaled her piloting skills, it would be her ability to calculate battles. General Jaina Solo's presence in the High Council alongside that of her twin's had raised so much controversy that only the needs of the war made her the thirteenth member.

The woman took only a few seconds to devise a battle plan. The Galactic Alliance would put and end to the suddenly ill dovin basals that guarded Coruscant/Yuuzhan'tar and then send its forces to the planet, with a select team of Jedi doing the special task of removing the Yuuzhan Vong leaders.

Jacen knew the job of selecting the members of the strike team was mostly his, and immediately began to consider various Jedi. The special place for twins amongst the Yuuzhan Vong had automatically put both himself and Jaina on the team, since Jaina and Jag's twin girls (that's right, the first set of twin girls in the Skywalker/Solo line) were only seven years old. Jacen had no trouble listing possible members of his team until the name Sil came to his mind.

Sil was skilled and in some ways, as powerful as Kyp Durron in the Force, but she was also his Padawan and his fourteen-year-old daughter. And she was not skilled enough with her lightsaber. While he hesitated, Jacen knew that the non-Jedi members of his council would not, especially since the girl was too knowledgeable about the Yuuzhan Vong and since Ben Skywalker, the only other young-and-yet-old-enough Jedi as powerful as Sil, was usually difficult to locate, through the Force or otherwise.

_Jacen._

The man felt a mental touch on his shoulders and was not surprised to learn that his wife had snuck out of Hapes again. Without words, the couple communicated the latest news the each had received.

_This is one of those times I wish I could send you, Tenel Ka. I don't want to send Sil. She's not ready to duel that Kodachi Cha or any of those new warriors. What if we lose her?_ While Sil was far above average in terms of Force-power, her physical strength and abilities were not as remarkable and she often had to use to Force to have her body execute certain maneuvers when dueling.

_You are putting your needs above the needs of the Alliance. Every Jedi is willing to sacrifice their life for peace. I know you are. You must accept that Sil is, too. I have learned the fighting style of the latest warriors Shimrra dispatched and I will show Sil every move that I know before I leave her. She will be ready._

_And she'll live. _Jacen thought. He must have allowed his selfish side cloud his judgment. But his bond with Tenel Ka was so strong that she took only a few seconds to disintegrate that cloud.

_Fact. Sil is approaching and I must commence her training now, but I will aid you in selecting team members._ Jacen felt the unspoken love of his wife and returned it. His troubles were hers and vice versa. They had decided that fifteen years ago. While there was no way the Hapans would allow their queen near Coruscant/Yuuzhan'tar, nothing would stop her from giving him strength. Jacen, for a while, allowed the refreshing Force-bond with Tenel Ka wash over him and take his mind away like a small raft riding on a strong river current. They were one, the Force was one, and everything was just part of the living, unifying Force.


	2. Part 2: Ben and Kodachi

TFB Part 2: Ben and Kodachi

Ben Skywalker deftly navigated his X-Wing to the near center of the Alderaanian asteroid field. Five Alliance squadrons, including his own, had teamed up and transformed a few pieces of the destroyed planet into more than fifty living quarters.

"Dagger One to Dagger Two." When the Yuuzhan Vong concentrated their energies on capturing Ben Skywalker, the boy faded into anonymity and became one of the co-founders of the Dagger Squadron. Only Uncle Han, Aunt Leia, and the rest of the Dagger Squadron knew of Ben's identity. The other pilots just knew Dagger Two as a grandson of an Old Republic Jedi.

"This is Dagger Two." Ben replied over the comlink.

"Need you to open up our hangar, Flames. Seems that we're the first ones here and Sleepyhead's at the controls." When the Daggers first met to decide on nicknames, Flames was instantly chosen for Ben's fiery hair.

"Sure." He said to the squadron leader. Sighing, the pilot turned to his astromech. "Order that hangar open, will you?"

Each squadron had one astromech equipped with the code required to open the hangar from the outside, and Ben's droid held the copy for the Daggers.

As soon as all of the Dagger Squadron was docked, Ben headed for the mess hall, where he could eat and watch the latest news on the war. A smile appeared on his face as the HoloNet showed some images from the sensors of a battleship. The Dagger Squadron was seen doing heaping amounts of help to the Galactic Alliance, but no identities were revealed. Their hit-and-run tactic was perfect. The teenage pilots stayed unidentified, the Alderaanian hideout remained secret, and the Yuuzhan Vong were frustrated with the constant losses caused by the squadron.

The HoloNet program faded into a brown mist for an instant and the powerful Force-sensitive understood the signal. The leaders and second-in-commands of the five squadrons are to show up in the conference room to decide on the next target for their lasers. 

Ben switched off the HoloNet display and headed for the conference room. The sixteen-year-old boy had gut feelings about certain worlds to express and more than half of the pilots' targets were decided by what the Force told Ben.

-scene change-

Kodachi Cha mused over her reflection. Not satisfied with the appearance of scars and tattoos on her face, the warmistress reached for one of her pets. She quickly fed the animal some of the black powder used for making tattoo ink and allowed the pet to wash down the food by drinking from a sack full of glistening oil. She waited fifteen breaths before the pet excreted her desired liquid. 

The Yuuzhan Vong dipped a long, thin animal into the liquid and carefully painted it over her scars and tattoos. Kodachi was satisfied with her reflection. The glistening patterns on her face and her jet-black lip implants would attract almost all males into submission. The warmistress then picked up a worm that had several lambents attached to it and used the creature to pull her dark hair into a sideways ponytail.

Just as the woman fitted a vonduun crab armor over her shirt, another entered the room. The warrior grabbed her amphistaff and spun around to strike down the intruder. The head of her eldest daughter's mating partner landed squarely at her feet.

"That one wished to steal a member from our domain, Kodachi." A female voice said to the warmistress.

"Ona Cha," The warmistress replied after recognizing her sixteen-year-old daughter as the speaker. _This girl would be a dangerous threat to me if she matures. I can't let her get away with using me like this._"Only the foolish warrior does not kill for herself. I won't have any one of my own acting as un-warrior-like as you! That is to be expected of an intendant. For this, I shall send you back to the gods once you give birth."

After making the death promise to her daughter, Kodachi Cha brought herself up to the bridge of her flagship, which was orbiting Yuuzhan'tar at the time.

"Report." The Yuuzhan Vong ordered her subordinates in a cold tone. "Who is cutting through this fleet like an infidel tailor trimming cloth?"

"We do not know. So far, we have lost almost a fourth of our skips because of these hits."

"Fool." Hissed the warmistress. "You think I do not know the damage they are doing? I want the identities of the pilots and I want them killed, removed, or even better, enslaved. What of all the Jeedai twins and their families?" 

"My Hapan agent tells me that their queen and their eldest princess are meeting Jacen Solo and Jaina Solo Fel." Reported the chief of Kodachi's spies.

"These twins have plagued us for too long. Their location?"

"They are with the High Council. No locations available. Should I dispatch agents to follow the queen?"

"Do so quickly. I have no patience and no time." The warmistress ordered he spy. "And Ben Skywalker, the son of Leia Organa Solo's dead twin? Verify the rumors about Jaina Solo Fel having twin children and those of Jacen Solo having a second daughter with the Hapan Queen."

"Mistress Cha, we have not had information on Skywalker since he disappeared. Solo Fel will be followed by this." The spy presented the warmistress with a viewbug, the nearly microscopic cousin to the viewspider.

"Have your agents follow her as well once she is located." The warmistress ordered. _I will not be as pathetic as Choka. I will have all the descendants of Leia Organa Solo and the son of her dead twin captured._ "Prove to me that your spying will make Nom Anor proud or I'll behead you. Dismissed."

Kodachi Cha then turned to her villips and activated the one belonging to Prefect Nom Anor.


	3. Part 3: Nom and Jacen

Part 3: Nom Anor and Jacen

Although Nom Anor showed no expression on the outside as the warmistress complained to him about one of his students, the prefect was amused with the woman. Of all the warmasters he had known, she had given him the biggest of all advantages. The woman was a typical, brainwashed warrior who just happened to have an unusually explosive temper.

While that woman was high above average in the arts of the warrior caste, she was still quite young and naïve by Yuuzhan Vong standards. She was, after all, only eighteen when Tsavong Lah died. The prefect had lost count of the number of occasions which the woman's temper and impulsiveness had done favors for him and removed those he considered threats. He was lucky that her mentor, none other than his cousin, taught the woman to favor and respect Domain Anor.

"Warmaster, the so-called student of mine was trained by the head of his domain. He wasn't mine until a few days ago. Do you truly believe one of my students could be so incompetent?" Nom Anor played upon the respect the woman held for Anors in general, and him in particular. To the prefect, Kodachi Cha was as resourceful, if not more so, than the priestess Ngaaluh when she spied for him. The warmistress had done a good job of removing Nom's rivals, and his words just sentenced the head of his student's domain, a rival prefect, to death. Someday, when the time is right, the warmistress would have a reason to kill the High Prefect and Nom would have the highest rank within his caste, with the exception of the Supreme Overlord.

"No, Prefect." The warmistress' villip reverted to its natural form after showing the warmistress turn almost completely blue in anger. Nom Anor smiled, for he knew that the unstable woman would be hunting down his rival in the damutek of domain Shek soon. Kodachi's homicidal temper made her a female and more resourceful version of Master Shaper Ch'Gan Hool, who died fifteen years ago for his error in the shaping of Coruscant. It was a shame that Nom Anor did not master the valuable skill of controlling the wraths of others before the Master Shaper was executed.

Nom Anor then turned to the images from the viewspider of one of his agents. He could see one of the human traitors showing his agent all available data on the transport the Hapan Queen and her daughter took. It was a shame that a doll in the gardens of the Royal Palace had fooled the spy and wasted a standard hour of his time.

While Nom Anor's agent served Kodachi Cha, the prefect made sure that every bit of information fed onto his displays.

Nom Anor watched as his agent's ship followed the _Jeedai_ queen's ship's signature from a safe distance. He might find many of the answers he and his spies spent half a decade trying to uncover. This might reveal why the Shamed Ones around the galaxy acted with an unusual amount of unity after Yu'Shaa was 'murdered' and exactly how many living descendants the legendary Darth Vader had. That was just a small example of what the mission's success would bring if this agent would be competent enough not to fail him.

When the spy ship reverted to normal space, Nom Anor was shown a picture of the legendary planet he had not set foot on since the day he discarded his identity as Yu'Shaa. However, Nom Anor was not pious type and did not feel the sensation most Yuuzhan Vong would have felt at the sight of the living planet. 

The one-eyed man proceeded to activate his spy's villip. He had realized some additional tasks for the agent he was sending to the lush planet.

-scene change-

As Jacen sensed his wife and daughter's presences intensify, he could feel his eldest daughter and apprentice pour over the lessons taught to him by Vergere and by his previous student. 

_"I guess---I'm a student."_

"Perhaps you are." Vergere nodded. "Then you are also a teacher, for the two are one."

Fifteen years had passed since Vergere taught him most invaluable lessons on the capital world of the galaxy, but Jacen still remembered her teachings word for word. Though Vergere told him that everything she said was a lie, Jacen could not doubt the truth found in her words, especially after he took his first apprentice.

Jacen's first and most unusual student taught him a completely new outlook on the Yuuzhan Vong species and perhaps the knowledge that put him in the Council after Saba Sebatyne's death. The experience gained from teaching the boy prepared him for taking on the second student, who gave him a partial insight on perhaps what it was like for Vergere and Uncle Luke to train him.

Jacen wanted to list his first and former student amongst the Jedi visiting Yuuzhan'tar in the attempt to put an end to the war that had dominated the galaxy for two decades, but he could not. The thousands, if not millions, of Shamed Ones that took refuge on Zonama needed the most adept leader they could find because of the role Sekot was about to play in the war with the Yuuzhan Vong.

Only Jacen's former apprentice, now the sole Jedi Knight from the Yuuzhan Vong species, could fill that role. The young man, as the son of a Shamed warrior, could command the obedience of the Shamed Ones better than every other Jedi and had learned much about battle strategy from his formerly high-ranking mother.

The Jedi Council would have to seek out that well-worshipped leader of the local Shamed Ones and… _No, he's coming to us!_ Jacen felt his bond with the other Jedi strengthen, which meant that the unique man was racing toward the meeting place with Force-enhanced speed. 

_Masterrr…_ Jacen could feel a discern a sense of urgency from his apprentice's tone, but due to the distance and the apparent rush of the Yuuzhan Vong, Jacen could not sense the details of whatever the emergency was.


	4. Part 4: Battle Planning for the Young P...

Part 4: Battle Planning for the Young Pilots

As Ben Skywalker entered the conference room, he could see multicolored dots, each of which represented a star, scattered over the room. He was not surprised. Activating the holographic map of the galaxy was the job of whoever walked in first.

"We were nearly caught in the last battle. You Daggers were lucky. If this place is discovered, where is the next best place to hide?" Asked the leader of the Blue Lekkus from Ryloth as soon as Ben took his seat.

If the Yuuzhan Vong turn up here, we run to either Carida or the Cauldron Nebula. We'll just say we're physics students if anybody asks us why we're there. Suggested one of the Wookiees.

"Well, my sister can't. A rock hit her astromech on the way here and she can't go anywhere." Protested the blue Twi'lek as soon as the Wookiee was translated into Basic.

"We can take Obroa Skai in a few days and one of us can trade our work for some spare parts and some military history datacards. The Force has already told Flames that the Galactic Alliance will strike there soon."

"We all agreed to remain anonymous. If we follow your plan, Crest, the Yuuzhan Vong might figure out who we are a moment too soon." Replied the Twi'lek leader.

"I believe we brought those holographic belts for this very purpose." The Wookie shifted his posture slightly as he spoke

"Fine, my vote's for Obroa Skai, then. So where are we gonna stop?" The Twi'lek was on the verge of crossing her arms, but decided against doing so. 

"Dathomir." Crest, also known as Dagger One, replied to her ally. When the planet had been freed, the Yuuzhan Vong deemed the place too unholy, even for their slaves, and always kept a distance from the desert world.

Ben was ready to shout, but his Jedi training kept him calm when he wanted to scream at Crest for being crazy. "Crest, those witches on Dathomir will take us men as their _slaves_!"

Ben would rather return directly to Alderaan, but that was too risky when ships from all sides of the battlefield could read the pilots' next destinations. 

"You just stay in orbit and only us women and nonhumans will go down." Ben was relieved at his wingmate's words and his evanescent worries about family secrets related to the planet vanished.

"This plan is a good one. We'll survive and get the supplies we need. We'll eventually have to hit Coruscant, and I know we'll need everything we can get for that attack. I have a feeling we'll suffer a lot if and when we have the honor to fight for our capital." Said Ben. It was only last night that the Force had shown Ben the most horrific picture yet of the war, one of Crestal Dagger locked in a Yuuzhan Vong prison cell with two other women. The other women in the picture were blurred, but something told Ben that those two girls were the last people he would like to see imprisoned. His leader's probable capture did not mean that the pilots will not strike Coruscant soon. _I've thought enough about Coruscant. Time to get into the details of Obroa Skai._

"Computer, zoom in on Obroa Skai and display our safe routes there according to the latest information." Immediately after Ben finished speaking, the stars in the room changed to match those surrounding the library world and yellow lines appeared where the safe hyperspace routes were supposed to be.

"Looks like our easy routes are still good and our merchants have plenty of things to hide behind." The blue skinned Twi'lek spoke. It was a good thing that their map could self-update via the HoloNet. "I suggest that once we get there, we do our hit-and-runs. When it's time to run, two of us stay 'til until the end of the battle and get the supplies we need."

"Then Seven and I shall stay and trade." Volunteered the Wookiee leader.

"I'll lead us into the battle, since it's my turn. We're flying our usual style shooting for the yammosks as usual?" The leader of the diverse, Coruscanti squadron spoke for the first time during the conference.

"Sure. And I'll be speeding up our ships and torpedoes like I do every other time." Replied Ben.


	5. Part 5

Part 5

The spy smiled as the insect dropped the viewbug into Jaina Solo Fel's hair. Through the animal, he could see in detail the corridor Jaina Solo Fel was traveling. The spy waited for a fourth of a standard hour, but nothing was worth reporting.

Just as the Yuuzhan Vong was about to close his eyes, something gray and much taller than Solo Fel caught his attention.

_By the sacrifices of Yun-Yuazhan! This is an outright insult to the gods!_ The spy thought as his vision cleared. That tall, gray blob was a young warrior, most likely in his early twenties.

"Commit this picture to memory." The spy ordered one of his pets. "Now, show me the young man." 

The spy studied the picture of the warrior closely. The young man had the muscular body of a fully trained warrior, but he wore the cloak of a _Jeedai_ over a robeskin instead of the vonduun crab armor and loincloth of the average warriors. The spy spotted the traditional amphistaff, but instead of being wrapped around the warrior's forearm, it served as a belt around his waist.

"Show me his marks." It was time to find out the domain of this young man. The only tattoos on the young man's body were nearly faded beyond recognition. The man was likely a Shamed One, but this was one occasion in which nameless things much be identified.

The spy gasped. Faded as the tattoo on the back of the warrior's hand was, it was the unmistakable mark that Domain Lah imprints upon its members at birth. Next to that was the mark of the female, meaning that the young man's mother was from Domain Lah and ranked higher than his father. He could see the symbol for the warrior's father's domain beneath the one of the Lahs, but he did not recognize it. Once the spy was back on Yuuzhan'tar, he would use the warriors' database to match a domain to the small scar. Then, the mating records would identify this unusual warrior.

The spy returned his attention to the display before him. The Yuuzhan Vong on display was now speaking with Solo Fel. The conversation was brief, and it ended when the Yuuzhan Vong gave a courteous bow to Jaina in return for her twin's location. It was a shame that the viewbug had to stay in Solo Fel's hair.

Only a few seconds after the Yuuzhan Vong walked off in the direction from which Solo Fel came, the woman stopped to shout to another.

"Oh, I am spending a few hours outside."

"Have fun, then!" Solo Fel replied. 

The intendant had to play around with the controls before he had a decent view of the person Solo Fel was speaking to. He was about to identify the other speaker when another voice was heard. 

"Commit the picture of this girl to memory." The spy ordered so as to be able to eavesdrop on Solo Fel once again and have a close look at the person whom the general stopped.

"Jag." Solo Fel spun around. Before he could gather any further information, one of Fel's hands picked the viewbug out of his wife's hair, killing the minute creature in the process.

"Curse you, Jagged Fel." The spy muttered as his displays went blank. There was still one thing left to do. "Show me the girl."

It was hard to believe, but Sil Chume Ta Djo was the one Solo Fel had stopped. Even more surprising was the appearance of the Hapan, who had on none of her usual makeup and hair things. Without the layers of makeup, jewelry, and hairdos, the Hapan heir was identical to the known Solo women. Perhaps the rumors were correct and the queen had mated with Solo fifteen years ago, though the majestic queen never revealed the father of her daughter. That would explain why a crown princess owed Solo Fel explanations.

The spy could not consider his mission a complete success, but he did not fail his master, either. While that dratted Fel had killed his viewbug before he could gather information on the rumors of Jaina carrying twins that erupted almost a decade ago and information on the elusive Ben Skywalker, the warmistress would certainly be interested in information about the Yuuzhan Vong amongst the Jedi and reward him for proving that Jacen Solo was the father of the Hapan princess. 

Between the princess and the Yuuzhan Vong warrior, the girl, especially without her usual array of guards, was by far the easiest for him to capture. The muscles and the amphistaff on the Yuuzhan Vong warrior was more than enough to kill the spy and his entire crew and the princess, if she were to struggle, would find herself battling those who knew everything about her Hapan style.

The agent called for one of his crew, and the one he summoned appeared immediately.

"Find and take the Hapan princess, but make sure she doesn't make a commotion like most _Jeedai_ children do. I want her to be able to answer questions after we arrive on Yuuzhan'tar. When you have her, bring our shaper her blood for a DNA test." He ordered his crewman.


	6. Part 6: Threats

Part 6: Threats

The tall intendant dipped his razor-sharp fingernails in one of the fluids that the skip's shaper had supplied. He then applied an ooglith masquer to his face and stripped himself of all but a simple robeskin.

The man had to wait only a few minutes to see the effectiveness of his disguise. With each question he asked the locals, he found himself closer to the girl's muddy tracks. When the trail disappeared, it took only one tip to put him back on her trail.

The Yuuzhan Vong intendant opened his mouth to grumble when he saw the last trace of the local sun disappear, but he closed his mouth at the sight of his target. As the distance between the Yuuzhan Vong and the princess shortened, the man saw that the Hapan was fast asleep. Those Hapan traitors must have been more competent than they were given credit for and had at least given the apparent heir a hard time. It was a shame that the Queen Mother would not show the slightest sign of a crack under pressure many times as heavy.

The intendant carefully pushed his kouffee-like nails into the girl's muscles beneath her knee. He silently thanked Yun-Yuuzhan for fashioning such a useful sedative as the Hapan heir showed no sign of waking. If she slept through that, then this kid would not wake until she is near Yuuzhan'tar. He allowed his lips to twitch a slight smile as he pulled out his now-red fingernails.

He carefully scooped up his Hapan target. This child was as light as a feather compared to Yuuzhan Vong girls her age and her lack of warrior-like muscles left him momentarily confused. While the Queen Mother and the Solos all showed qualities of warriors, both Hapan royalty and the Solos showed qualities of intendants. After all, most Hapans royalty spent their whole lives running governments, Leia Organa Solo was always either diplomat or Supreme Overlord as far as he knew, the father of the Skywalkers and Solos was second only to the Emperor in some Empire that ruled over an entire galaxy… _All this history's making me dizzy._

The thoughts terminated when the kidnapper saw an outline against some of the boras. He was not a warrior and could not carry that princess as he fought. Years of political training taught him to hide his emotions, but he allowed a bit of his relief show as he halted in front of his skip.

He had the Hapan princess sedated and he had enough blood on his fingers to prove that this girl was the blood of the most powerful _Jeedai_ clan in her veins. All he had to do now was open one of the hatches.

The creature opened before the man had to recall any passwords. This was definitely a good night for him. The man stepped through the hatch and commanded the large skip to close it as soon as he was in.

The man laid the princess down in a chamber with most of a shaper's tools and gave the girl a piece of robeskin bio-engineered to eat dead clothing as it grew to cover the body. He would not profane anybody by allowing them to touch dead, infidel cloth and Yuuzhan Vong, especially the females, valued cover. He then left to speak with the only Yuuzhan Vong to have done long-term spying in the Consortium.

-scene change-

The unique Yuuzhan Vong Jedi halted before his former Master, Jacen Solo. He had sensed a skip through his powerful Vong-sense and it was his duty either to confirm that both Jabitha and the Jedi authorized the skip or to inform the other Jedi of discovery by warmistress Cha.

The young Jedi instinctively placed his fingers around his amphistaff as he heard the responses from both Jabitha and the High Council. If no skip had been authorized, then he had a duty to prevent information from reaching Shimrra, or worse, the cold-blooded Kodachi of domain Cha.

Before the warrior's impulse could carry him out of the chamber, one of the Jedi ordered the former member of domain Lah to wait. The Jedi Master had requested for the Yuuzhan Vong to call for backup if he should ever be overwhelmed.

After thanking the Council, the young warrior sank into the Vongsense had was born with and effortlessly darted in the direction of the skip. The skip's glow in the Vongsense was brighter than the light emitted by a burning strip of magnesium, especially in a planet that abounded in the life force that Jedi are sensitive to. He could see the sun setting, so he quickened his pace to allow himself time to walk when night falls. The last thing he needed was to smash into a bora or a person because he could not see and was not using the Force.

Around a standard hour after the darkness forced the Shamed One to walk, both his Vongsense and his eyes suggested the presence of a Yuuzhan Vong who did not regularly dwell on the planet.

The Jedi attempted to follow the slight presence he had sensed with his Vongsense, but the flicker he detected had disappeared within seconds. The sole choice left for the young man was to investigate the skip.

At least ten standard minutes passed before the young warrior found himself beside the skip. Every access was closed and the only way in was through cut holes. Because of the lack of lighting, the Yuuzhan Vong Jedi removed his lightsaber from its usual place beneath his robeskin and activated the glowing blade.

The Yuuzhan Vong wasted no time in locating a suitable area for the cut. As he brought his glowing blade of light about to complete the circular opening, gravity in the area shifted and the skip disappeared from both Vongsense and sight. 

The young warrior easily located the creature that served to block his senses, but by the time he convinced it to nap, the skip was truly out of sight and his Vongsense told him that the skip was in hyperspace.

_If I took an hour to disable that thing, then the other Jedi would take at least twice the time._ The Yuuzhan Vong hoped that his Master had exaggerated each time he was told that his Vongsense was at least twice as strong as that of the next with the ability.

After he committed his experience with the new Vongsense and sight-blocking animal, the Jedi Knight used the Force-present pieces of himself to revert to his Force sense. He would report in full detail his findings to the Council. The recent events foretold of a sleepless night, but to the incarnation of a mysterious god, as Shamed Ones across the galaxy called him, sleepless hours was a mere part of everyday life.


	7. Part 7: I Have A Bad Feeling About This

Part 7 Got a bad feeling…

Ben Skywalker snapped to attention as he felt the freezing water on his skin. Ben was relieved to see no trace of red hair-dye on his suit, which meant that his disguise was safe. He looked up to see the golden-haired Crestal standing before him with an empty cup.

"We're in the middle of a sabacc match and you're spacing out, Flames." The sixteen-year-old girl before Ben Skywalker seemed angry. Then, using a slightly softer tone, she added. "Something's on your mind, isn't it? Don't try to hide it from me. You and I both know we, as pilots, gotta be focused on ourselves and what we're doing."

"N-I'm just thinking maybe we should strike that library planet sooner so we can get to Coruscant… something tells me time's running out." The young Jedi, for a mere moment, wanted to pretend nothing was on his mind, but saw that it would be no use lying to one of the people that helped him to stage his death. _We've been stuck together for too long. Even without the Force, I can tell what most of us are thinking and this is the fifth time someone thinks I got a problem. That goes especially for Crest._

"Another one of those feelings?"

"Yeah, I keep on thinking about Coruscant. I just have a bad feeling about this." Ben allowed himself to admit to his wingmate. Part of the Jedi pilot wanted to reveal the terrifying future in store for his friend on Coruscant, but he decided against it. Telling stubborn Crest what might happen to her was a waste of time. He then added. "Or maybe Force-cloaking myself and moving ships at the same time is taking its toll. It's especially hard when Jacen's anywhere within a thousand parsecs."

"Skywalker, can you do it for one last time? I think it'll be okay for you to come out of hiding at Coruscant and you know we won't do any battles between Obroa and Coruscant. You'd better be kidding about that bad feeling. Last time you said that Uona got shot and we were nearly captured." Although the girl's tone was neutral, her expression betrayed her worries.

"Only my cousin and his students can tell jokes, Crest." _Really bad ones._ Ben smiled as he finally made his move in the sabacc game.

-scene change-

The monitor creature screeched as it received a transmission from Yuuzhan'tar. It was a response from the shaper who kept records of all warrior matings and births.

"Put all received information on display." The creature responsible for display complied the minute the order was given. As the spy read through the information, he turned a shade of pale, bloodless, gray.

"Son of former Supreme Commander Nuren Lah by a scout, who was killed on Helska… born to her in her old age… quite strong for a child born to someone that old… Nuren Lah was third cousin to warmaster Tsavong Lah… Nuren Lah stole him from the crèche of Domain Lah after she was Shamed for a dishonorable attempt to poison and nobody saw her again… Quite impulsive, but most Yuuzhan Vong warriors are like that." The nearly frozen intendant managed to read in a quiet, breathless voice. By the time he reached the name of the mysterious warrior, he had no breath left to read aloud. _This man, no, _Jeedai_ should be dead! He's been gone for almost two standard decades!_

Two of the villips on the ship formed the scarred faces of Kodachi Cha and Nom Anor.


	8. Part 8

Part 8

Jysella Horn allowed herself to collapse into her seat and close her eyes as the last of the Shamed Ones returned to their hiding places. More than a year had passed since her ship exploded and she had 'died'. More than a year since she had somehow landed in a transport to Coruscant. More than a year since a group of rogue shapers had rescued her. She would have been dead were it not for the shamed Yuzzhan Vong who rescued and healed her. Upon discovering her lightsaber, the Coruscanti Shamed Ones asked the Jedi to lead and redeem them.

As the Jedi Knight relaxed herself and allowed the Force to flow through her, Jysella, for the first time since she was shot down, sensed another Force-sensitive in the system. _By the nine Corellian hells! Saved!_

The diminutive Jedi had to contact whoever was in the system. The Galactic Alliance must learn of the temporary damage Jysella Horn, through the hands of Yuzzhan Vong pariahs, had caused all the dovin basals in that core system. If that person had entered the system a month later, a year's work on the parts of Jysella and the Yuzzhan Vong Shamed Ones would have been undone.

The sudden rush of hope faded as the young Jedi realized that whoever was in the system, the person was not conscious and definitely not able to convey her information to the Alliance.

A thud bug hit Jysella's jaw and the Jedi began to lose consciousness. In a brushing motion, her right hand sent her lightsaber down a hidden chute in into the quarters of her most trusted rescuers. She had known that she would eventually be betrayed and captured and she was prepared. The Yuzzhan Vong would capture an unconscious Jedi, but her weapon would remain intact and her ex-warrior friend would have something to fight with when the time comes for her to escape.

"_Jeedai_, we have you at last! My superiors will be most pleased."

-scene change-

Master Shaper Sa'eth Kwaad gave a slightly relieved smiled beneath his implants as he heard the report from a priestess of Yun Yuzzhan. The supposedly dead _Jeedai_ Jysella Horn, had been captured alive and scheduled to be sacrificed in two weeks. To make the situation even better for the Master Shaper, the captured _Jeedai_ was the proven cause of all heresy and the epidemic of the equipment in the Yuzzhan'tar system. With a good sacrifice to look forward to and an end to the cause of the illness in the dovin basals, the shaper could finally replace his thoughts of a disgraceful death.

The Master Shaper from Domain Kwaad was about to reach into the seven cortices for information when a face formed on one of his villips. 

"Great Shaper, we have the Hapan princess. Warmistress Kodachi Cha demands the presence of a master shaper and the mysterious recording we took from …"

"I know what you're talking about. I will send one of my shapers with the recording." The Master Shaper replied.

"Great Shaper, Kodachi Domain Cha also wishes to discuss some information with you. She also asks for the hair collected from Jacen Solo when he was in our Embrace of Pain and the Adept who had collected the recording from that infidel prince's body. This is all, belek tiu." 

"Belek tiu. She will have what she wants." The shaper ended the message. The villip reverted to its natural form and the shaper allowed his body to slouch into his seat. Just when he thought Kodachi Cha's attention was off of him, her messenger relayed to him a message that told him of more attention from that embodiment of a nightmare.

The shaper shook the tentacles on his headdress aside and straightened himself. If that woman demanded a private conversation with him, he might as well send himself as the promised Master Shaper with the recording and the hair. The gray-skinned shaper did not like this. _Qelah, why did you have to disappear? Come back, cousin. If you'd stayed, our holy caste would have had one steady leader and we'd never have lost almost two thousand to heresy. That gossip about a /iJeedaii from Domain Lah is spreading like a cancer in this caste. I'm not supposed to be head of our caste, you are! Just where on this planet am I supposed to find Solo's hair?_ The Master Shaper sighed. The torturous position was not destined to be his.

Sa'eth Domain Kwaad picked up a probe creature and began to search his belongings for the recording that was salvaged from Prince Isolder's body a year ago, during the attempt to take Hapes. In that battle, one group of warriors managed to chop down the pesky Prince Isolder and another man had done away with that Skywalker kid. It was a shame that Skywalker's 'demise' was later proven to be a mere ruse used to buy time for an escape to nobody-knows-where.


	9. Part 9

Part 9

"Ah, good, you have the princess." Nom Anor said through his villip.

"Exellencies, I learned that Sheng Lah is our _Jeedai_ traitor. He is the one some heretics called 'incarnation of a unknown god' and 'son of Yun-Shuno'." The spy informed Nom Anor over the villip.

For a few seconds, Nom Anor doubted his ears. While Sheng was a common name amongst priests and shapers, warriors never dared use such a sanctified name. If Sheng Lah was a _Jeedai_, then he must not be allowed on Coruscant. Yu'Shaa had lost power when Jysella Horn entered the core system, and the _Jeedai_'s capture was his opportunity to 'return from the dead'. The Shamed Ones must follow Nom Anor and only Nom Anor to their deaths. They were good tools to use against the rivals of Nom Anor.

"We will meet on the planet. Dismissed." Nom Anor's villip reverted to its natural form. He then proceeded to contact Shimrra while the opportunity still existed, for he knew that his spy was speaking with the warmistress as well as himself. If anybody was to claim the credit for exposing the traitor Sheng Lah, that person would be the one-eyed Nom Anor. 

Kodachi vented her frustration on various warriors and objects as the princess refused to wake for the fiftieth hour in a row.

"YOU! You said this princess would answer our questions once she is here!" The violent warmistress shouted at Nom Anor's agent.

"Your fierceness, I gave her the amount used to sedate human adults for fifteen hours."

"Fool, this princess has two years before she reaches sixteen! Get out of my sight! If you weren't one of Nom Anor's people, you'd be dead." The intimidated intendant stumbled backwards, but he picked himself up and sprinted out of the damutek to avoid the woman's wrath. 

"Warmistress." The heavily tattooed Yuuzhan Vong turned to find the Master Shaper she had summoned. Kodachi reached for her amphistaff, but her hand stopped when she realized that the intruder was _the_ Master Shaper.

"Greetings, Master Shaper. Thank you for blessing me with your time and presence." Technically, the Shapers held higher ranks than the warriors, but the warmistress knew of the Master Shaper's fear and gave him a nearly poisonous stare.

"Warmistress, this is Adept Koruuv, the one who took this piece of information from the one named Isolder." The Master Shaper from Domain Kwaad gestured at the adept, who used an insect-like creature to remove a data card from the folds of his robes. The shaper then continued. "I have brought this creature to decipher all infidel encryptions." 

Flashback

"Tsavong Lah's gone insane! He can't possibly be broadcasting over that _infidel_ Holo-something." 

"But we heard it from Wypruuk himself!" The teenaged Kodachi shot back at the other girl.

End of Flashback

The armored woman stood surprised for a second. She had nearly forgotten her days as a child living with the other daughters of her domain. _Why had I forgotten Tsavong Lah's offer?_

"Does this intercept their HoloNet?" Kodachi asked. 

"Yes, but warmistress, you must know that the princess of Domain Djo has…" The shaper lowered his voice slightly.

-scene change-

As the famed library world came into view, Leia felt a Force-presence she had not felt in a standard year. It was faint and the feeling left as quickly as it came, but she knew her impulsive nephew was somewhere in the system.

Flashback

"Aunt Leia, that fifty billion credits on my head's getting people killed. I can only do something good for the Alliance if I play dead and let Flames fly off. I'm sorry, Aunt Leia, but I have to go."

End of flashback

Leia had tried to stop Ben, but the shockwaves he had faked through the Force had given him enough time to pretend to get hacked to pieces and fly off.

Through the _Falcon_'s viewport, Leia watched as something gray sliced through the Yuuzhan Vong fleet at a speed too fast for the sensors to follow. Then, all but two of the group who had cut through the Yuuzhan Vong defenses jumped to hyperspace. The bait of a false battle at Obroa was intended for the Yuuzhan Vong, not the mysterious benefactors.

As the unknown allies disappeared into hyperspace one by one, Jaina's X-Wing appeared just at the edge of the system.

A few starfighters orbited the desert planet Dathomir as many more landed. Ben allowed himself to relax, knowing that he no longer had to shield from General Jaina or Aunt Leia. _Oh well, at least Jacen wasn't there._ Ben knew that his incomplete Jedi training meant that there was no avoiding mind-melds coordinated by his powerful, experienced cousin.

Ben sighed and sank into his seat. He fell for the bait of a false battle and his own aunt and cousin had been behind it! The young man was about to allow his eyelids to drop when his astromech beeped and suddenly projected a hologram. The dazzling but heavily scarred face looked familiar to Ben Skywalker, but he could not pinpoint her identity.

"Hello. Hapes, I have your princess. Bring me Ben Skywalker, who happens to be her father's cousin, I and you shall have your princess back. Hapes does not wish to continue without an heir, does it?" The hologram of the Yuuzhan Vong woman flickered, and suddenly, in its place was that of the young princess, serene and unconscious.

_And I thought fifty billion credits was a lot._ Ben thought as he recognized his distant relative. _I hope Hapes doesn't decide to hate me; I think I got enough enemies from that Ni'Kor-something._

"I knew it! Our Queen's had an affair with Jacen Solo! That girl looks nothing like her!"

_That's no affair._ Ben thought. _He's been her consort for as long as I remember._

"Hey watch it! You're talking about our princess! Let's go rescue this hottie and get our hands on some big money!" 

"You're way over your head, you big-time flirt. We're gonna either get killed or get the princess killed if we try to get her out."

"Aw come on! If our princess is a Solo and we get her out, then we're the richest pilots from the whole Consortium. It's worth the risk." As Ben listened to the conversation between the Hapan boys in his squadron, a cold realization dawned upon him and a chill went down his spine. _Sithspit! That warmaster knows who my cousin really is!_

"No…" Ben managed to whisper. If that evil villain knew who Sil was, then his other hidden relatives were in danger of being exposed as children of the twins. Even worse, those Yuuzhan Vong might search through the remains of Alderaan, however unlikely it would be for that kid to know that he was even alive. _Emperor's black bones! You're going to owe me for getting you out of this, cousin._

"I'm all for the princess rescue. Nine chances out of ten she's on Coruscant right now." Ben voiced his opinion over the comlink. Ben smiled slightly as he found his twin sabers in their usual positions at his thighs. Should it ever be necessary, Ben Skywalker was prepared for close combat. 

"Whoa, wait a minute, Flames, Coruscant? You want us to fly into those monster dovin basals and get ourselves killed?" 

"Seven, you forget, we chose Alderaan because it's next to Coruscant and we'd win back our capital sooner or later." Ben said to his friend.

"I'm not doing anything 'til the girls are back."


	10. Part 10

Part 10

As Ben waited for the sight of his comrades, he heard an unfamiliar language over his channels. He was about to chide his comrades for talking behind his back when he realized that the voice was female.

"Looks like we got a witty traitor on our hands." Ben heard Seven say in Basic after a he a string of incomprehensible words. He glanced at the Hapan starfighter beside him.

"Watch your mouth, Seven!" Another Hapan boy shouted over the comlink. More foreign words played over the comlink. 

"Could somebody tell me what is going on? Apparently, you all know more than I do." The Jedi has had enough of all the talk behind his back.

"Oh, Hapan affairs, nothing more than a traitor who gave away our speech. Our queen will take care of it. This kinda stuff happens all the time on our planet." Seven told Ben in Basic.

"I still don't get it. What happened?" Ben, confused by Seven's answer, asked.

"Somebody had the nerve to translate that threat into our native language and then Seven said something he I'm not gonna say."

-scene change-

"Very good, you have passed the first test." Nuren Lah complimented when her Ferroan student maneuvered his through her obstacle course and shot every target she set up. A sense of mixed awe a disbelief fell over the Shamed woman, even though she had been training up an army of Yuuzhan Vong heretics and Ferroans for several years. Perhaps ironically, it was not working alongside Tahiri Veila, the _Jeedai_ who was shaped, for years that had surprised the aged Yuuzhan Vong. 

The shock did not come from working with the _Jeedai_ for having a _Jeedai_ son influenced her view of the group. Rather, the scarred and tattooed woman could hardly believe that she was teaching. _Doing this alone, now that Tahiri Veila is on her way to her fellow _Jeedai. _Then again, this is what retired officers do and I suppose being Shamed means retiring._ She thought, considering her distant uncle Czulkang Lah.

Nuren Lah's thoughts were interrupted when the image of her least favorite warmaster appeared abruptly on each display in the room. The elderly Yuuzhan Vong clenched her fists and allowed a low growl as she heard the threat. Then, with her wrinkled and scarred hands, Nuren Lah stroked every available villip and switched on all of her com channels.

"We're about to fight a real battle. It'll be big, so ready everything." The woman ordered. Decades of experience in the ranks of the Yuuzhan Vong warriors, several years of which were spent as Supreme Commander, told Nuren Lah what she should expect at each exact time.

-scene change-

The Yuuzhan Vong clenched his fists as he watched the holo-message from the warmaster. He came to the Jedi stronghold to seek peace from all those who chased and worshipped him, but it seemed that respite was not for Sheng Lah.

It made sense. If the Sword of the Jedi had, so far, found no peace, then the Bridge of the Jedi and the Yuuzhan Vong, was not destined to live the easy, normal life, either. Perhaps merely being a Jedi made his days harsh and restless in times of war and strife. Sheng shook off the thoughts almost as soon as they came. As a Yuuzhan Vong, Sheng Lah would never complain, and as Jedi Knight, he could only accept everything the Force had allotted him.

"How can this be?" One of the other Jedi asked.

"There's a traitor and one of us has been has been followed." Sheng answered. He wanted to call the warmistress an obvious liar and say that the princess has wandered into another hemisphere of the planet, but his feelings told him that the warmistress was honest.

"It's probably true, knowing the Hapans. Tenel Ka suspects of a few traitors in her palace, but none of us had the opportunity to investigate." Jacen agreed with his former student. Just before his death, warmaster Nas Choka had chased Ben Skywalker to Hapes. In the battle that ensued, many, including Ben and Prince Isolder were killed and three prized Battle Dragons were destroyed, so the cluster had once again shut its doors. Only recently did the cluster reopen itself and allow for the queen and princess to leave.

"No, I meant how can that warmaster ask for a dead person?" The Jedi asked. "We all saw Ben's body disappear on the surveillance camera."

"It was a ruse. I felt Ben in one of our melds, but he left almost as soon as he came." Jacen countered.

"Jacen, if your cousin is alive, he'd be here right now. I also think this new warmaster is stupid beyond belief." Sheng Lah found himself the target of surprised stares, but he was used to the attention the other Jedi gave to their Yuuzhan Vong friend.

"No, Sheng, Ben is alive; he just doesn't want us to find him." Jacen replied and the room fell silent. Jacen understood Sheng Lah's opinion, for former Supreme Commander Nuren Lah, the woman who first judged the warmistress an incapable imbecile, was not to be taken lightly in military matters.

Jacen's fingers curled at his shaven chin. The ransom had given him much to ponder about. One family secret was out, and the Yuuzhan Vong leaders demanded his first-cousin for the return of his first daughter. Knowing the Yuuzhan Vong culture of lying, turning Ben in would not solve any problems, if his cousin was indeed alive.

If nothing were done soon, that princess would either be dead or a traitor. _Or trying to summon the Hapan fleet_. Jacen thought, considering the time the remains of the Peace Brigade took several Jedi children, including Sil, captive. The princess was patient, but once that patience ran out, she would attempt to use every bit of her political power. Summoning Battle Dragons was a good idea when it came to the Peace Brigade, but ordering the fleet to Coruscant would spell disaster.

"We should take back Coruscant, and while we're there, I'll get her out." Jacen broke the silence. Attacking the capital planet was the only choice for the dutiful Prince Consort.

"I'd like to be on the strike team on Coruscant, Jedi Masters."

"But Jedi Lah, you are to lead the new armies from here." A member of the council countered.

"The new armies are Nuren's, not mine. Besides, if we are splitting up in groups on the ground, I can go with one of you and make this whole thing go much faster." The gray-skinned Sheng Lah said out loud. While his eyes appeared to focus on the Jedi, they truly gazed upon the gash and tattoos of Domain Lah in his reflection on the wall. The Force was instructing Sheng Lah to face his domain, no, his blood, from the surface of the shaped planet.


	11. Part 11: It's All Just A Nightmare, Or ...

Part 11. It's all just a nightmare, or is it?

The chamber was noiseless as Kodachi Cha's combination of an offer and threat played, the first time in Basic and the second time in Hapan.

"Queen Mother, please tell me this scar-head is lying." One advisor finally broke the silence. "The princess is here, right?" 

"Unfortunately, she is not." Tenel Ka replied curtly. "She was with the Jedi on Zonama Sekot."

"This is impossible! I refuse to believe that any of this is not a part of a joke."

"The situation unlikely, but achievable. Kodachi Cha does not have the sense of humor required to joke." 

"With all due respect, Queen Mother, what Cha demands is a dead person! Even you Jedi all say Ben Skywalker was killed." Another incredulous advisor insisted.

"We thought we felt Jacen Solo die, but he returned and rose to the rank of a Jedi Master." The one-armed Jedi argued. Few people in the chamber could guess which 'we' the royal woman used each time.

"So you do love that Jedi Master." Another woman commented. She then asked, "Queen Mother, you will do something about that warmistress, right?"

"That is a fact. Trace the signal." The Jedi queen gave her first order. The perfect timing told her that the transmission might lead to one of the few remaining traitors who believed the invaders. Few could arrange to have the threat played to more than fifty senators a council of advisors, and the queen.

"Milady, what of our fleet? Surely we can't allow her to get away with your only heir, especially a female heir!" The advisor's tone was rich with Hapan pride.

"We'll attack Coruscant." The Queen Mother decided after much hesitation. Her first inclination was to introduce her long-hidden second daughter to the galaxy, but it would not be wise. A response in the form of a fleet seemed most logical. Normally, a premature attack meant once again crippling the fleet, but ailing dovin basals suggested that they strike before any cures to the illnesses could be found. She had the feeling that there was far more on the planet than the usual attempts at survival from pariahs and a captured princess. 

"But this is rather risky, surely you can choose another heir." A known supporter of Princess Chelik pointed out.

"I know, but there shouldn't be any royal bloodshed. In reality, we have little to lose because our Dragons are strong and it is only a matter of time before the rest of the Alliance attacks." A prominent admiral stated.

-scene change-

This was all a nightmare and a royal guard would wake the young princess up. Grandfather, Mother and Father were waiting for diplomats in the throne room and they wanted their heirs there. The hyperactive, little sister was shaking and reminding the older sibling.

When the older sister was dressed, she stepped out of the bedchamber. She screamed as Murra disappeared, but no one heard the voice. Her surroundings were strangely large and dark. 

"Cousin, your daughter will remain perfectly anonymous." The cloaked figured accepted a bundle and disappeared.

The princess continued to trudge forward when she finally understood what she saw. She was three and Mother was sending Murra into hiding because of the price on the head of every Skywalker, including those who did not carry the name. _I'd be hiding with her, if I didn't get caught. Hiding… Maybe that's why Mother doesn't mind when I wear that veil. Or maybe she doesn't care much about that stuff. At least that's one less heir to the throne._

Once again, the lights were bright and proportions were normal. Through the transparisteel the girl could make out a heavily damaged Battle Dragon.

"By the sixty-three worlds! That ship's crashing into the royal city!" Someone shouted.

"No…" The girl gasped as she realized the identity of the ship. She reached out with the Force and felt several oversized hands moving the ship away. She reached out with both hands as she added her what strength she could to the forces that were moving the failing ship. The Battle Dragon would land on one of Hapes' uninhabited moons, or at least the planet's countryside, if any Force-sensitive could help it.

"NO!" This time, the word came as a lasting scream of horror. All efforts at moving the ship were nullified when an oversized gob of plasma hit the ship, reducing it to chunks of debris. _Grandfather… Sithspawn! He was on that ship! No, this has to be some nightmare._ She spun around and dashed for the turbolift, but a shockwave through the Force sent the princess off balance. The teen reached further into the Force for comfort, but found herself unable to access it. 

_So I've been stripped? No wait, I'm not, since I can still feel myself. All I have to do is…_ The princess never finished the thought.

"_Jeedai_ princess, answer our questions!" Someone snarled in heavily accented Basic.

"Huh? What?" The girl muttered groggily in Hapan.

The voice grunted something in another language before exclaiming in Basic, "Good, you are finally awake! Now tell us, where is Skywalker, your crèche-mate?"

_Okay, just what in this galaxy is a crèche-mate?_

-scene change-

Jysella groaned as she regained consciousness. As a result of the thud bug hit, her jaw was numb with pain. Though she had no mirror to aid her vision, she knew there were cuts on her shoulders and guessed that something was roughly holding the Jedi upright. It was likely that her robeskin had prevented the cuts from being deep gashes. Nerve endings in the wrists told the woman that the Yuuzhan Vong had taken the care to bind her hands.

A growl in the stomach made the Jedi wonder if she could somehow light a fire and roast the creature that held her wrists together. Experience on the planet taught the woman that most Yuuzhan Vong technology were as edible as they were repulsive. _Well, all I have to do is find some dry wood and strike it with lightning._

"This cell?" The translation from the tizoworm interrupted the Jedi's musings.

"You idiot. This is a _Jeedai_, not an ordinary prisoner! Place this particular woman with them, and these infidels will all escape!" The piece of biotechnology translated for a second Yuuzhan Vong.

_They think this highly of me? This is the one compliment I really hate._ Jysella thought as she forced her eyes open. Her vision was blurred, but she could make out several armored figures and the insides of something that she determined to be the Yuuzhan Vong equivalent of a correctional facility.

"Little girl, welcome to your new home!" Jysella could judge from the accent that someone was attempting to speak Basic to her. The apparent leader of Jysella's escort gave the woman a malicious, fanged grin before forcefully pushing the small Jedi Knight into an empty cell.

"You four, guard the _Jeedai!_" The leader barked at Jysella's escort.

_Great, solitary confinement and four guards to beat up! At least my lightsaber's in good hands and he might get help from another Jedi._

Before the woman could scramble to her feet and struggle, a living wall dropped from the apparent ceiling and separated her from the open planet. Desperation showed when the young woman scrambled to her feet and slammed herself against the new barrier. She pounded her fist against the wall of coral before her legs caved in and she slid to the equivalent of a floor.


	12. Part 12: What Happened to the Minions?

Part 12: What happened to the minions?

"Prefect, you have done well. Bring this 'Sheng Lah' to me alive." The Supreme Overlord ordered, emphasizing the final word. The villip reverted, leaving Prefect Nom Anor free to return to his usual activities. Nom Anor was one of the few knowledgeable individuals who knew of the heresy that hid behind the imposing maa'it implants and perhaps the select one or two from whom Shimrra did not conceal the unorthodox nature.

-scene change-

Nom Anor listened from his hiding place as two Shamed Ones discussed an apparent plan in hushed voices.

"Surely she can't be captured." A feminine voice murmured.

"Even _Jeedai_ are limited, Taan." An older, deeper voice almost sighed.

"But they are gods, incapable of error! I have spoken to Yun Ne'Shel in the form of Tahiri Veila!"

"And I have awakened amongst the dead!" Retorted the second speaker, apparently a male.

"I respect you, but what are you truly saying?" inquired the one called Taan.

"You're being fanatical. The _Jeedai_ embody the gods, but they merely contain a portion of their powers. That is especially so with Domain Horn and we both know it. Jysella Horn's imperfection has undone her and I seek to revive." The sound of fingernails against coral accompanied the male's reply. 

"Her holy weapon of light!" Nom Anor listened incredulously as Taan gasped. "You can't possibly…" 

"She needs this back. Besides, I need something to fight with and we don't have enough amphistaffs to go around."

"But to charge into a fight like that is suicide!" protested the female.

"Do I look like that coward Kunra to you?" The prefect shifted slightly as he digested the unsurprising information. Most likely, at least Taan confronted the apparently unchanged Kunra about something and he fled a third fight. As he had always expected, Nom Anor could only depend on Nom Anor.

"Well, no." The woman admitted. "But there's a line between foolishness and bravery."

"Exactly." The male persisted. "I was foolish to order the attack on my brother, but I won't make that mistake again by letting our leader die." 

"Then go and bring her back. Just don't go alone. I know you're a warrior, but we can't afford to lose you." The female finally gave in.

"As my brother has once said, a salute to the _Jeedai_, a salute of blood." Silence reigned until the sound of rapidly fading footsteps broke it. Nom Anor wondered if the warrior happened to be the famous Hul Rapuung. If that minion was indeed the crèche-brother of the famed Vua Rapuung, then Jysella Horn must have devised a brilliant tactic to keep his spies ignorant on the matter. Then again, what else should one expect from a student of the woman believed by so many to be the Trickster incarnate?

The prefect had little choice but to persist, for proving Rapuung to be one of Jysella Horn's minions would add to his advantage over the other leaders of his caste. If that radical Shimrra did not remove the rank of High Prefect, Nom Anor would have ruled over all intendants either before or immediately after he named that Lah traitor.

"Prefect." The one eyed intendant turned to see the agent who nabbed the princess.

"Lure Sheng Lah here." Nom Anor ordered his agent. Capturing a Yuuzhan Vong warrior fully trained in the ways of the _Jeedai_ and armed with at least an amphistaff required a much different approach than the one used to nab an apparently unarmed girl.

"Is this all, prefect?"

"Yes. Now go." The lesser intendant obeyed, leaving Nom Anor to ponder on his secret identity. Now that both Hul Rapuung and Jysella Horn were out, perhaps it was time for Yu'Shaa to return with utmost care.

-scene change-

"Princess, where is Ben Skywalker?" Kodachi Cha stomped in frustration after a few seconds of silence from the Hapan brat. She could have sworn by all the creations of Yun-Yuuzhan that she has heard the child speak Basic over the HoloNet. 

"Warmistress, perhaps I could persuade her." Offered the Adept who accompanied the leader of the Shaper caste. 

"What are you thinking? Now is not the time of your Blessed Release!" Kwaad hissed as his fingers wrapped around the right arm of the other shaper.

"My hand might convince her, for every being in this galaxy knows the story of Mezhan Kwaad, Nen Yim, and Tahiri Veila." The Adept replied absently as he struggled against the Master Shaper's grip.

"They are heretics not to be spoken of!" Sa'eth Kwaad struggled to remain composed.

"Infidels don't know that. _Jeedai_ just know to fear our hands." Kwaad's grip loosened at the Adept's argument.

_Only twenty years old, and he's already a dupe of Yun-Harla._ The Master Shaper thought disgustedly as the young Adept approached the warmistress and the princess.

"Pretty arrogant for someone like you! Fail, and you shall die, Adept." The young, tentacle-headed man found the narrow side of the woman's amphistaff mere nanometers from his unprotected neck. The young shaper swallowed his fear and proceeded. The tip of the finger that was used for cutting traced up the girl's chin, drawing a drop of blood as it went.

"Child, answer her! You don't want that amphistaff over there in your delicate little throat, do you? Or better, I can shape you into the one who will bring your sixty-three worlds into our service and rid the galaxy of the remaining _Jeedai_." The shaper Adept taunted. The girl flinched as the daggerlike nail reached the tip of her chin and then screamed something incomprehensible to Yuuzhan Vong ears.

The Adept prepared to embrace death at the hands of Kodachi Cha as the edge of the serpentine creature zoomed in toward his pale gray skin, but, much to the surprise of the Adept, the blow was halted.

"Get that filthy, eight-legged piece of slime off my armor, you fraud of a Master Shaper!" The warmistress snarled at the head of the Shaper caste as he struggled to delay the Blessed Release of the Adept.

"B-but the Master Shaper's hand is a holy tool of Yun Yuuzhan!" Stuttered an aghast priest who happened to witness the event. Kodachi Cha momentarily froze before directing her wrath at the priest.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, the Adept warned the heavily scarred woman. "When Shimrra finds out about this, he certainly won't be pleased with you. This priest is the responsibility of Harrar, who answers to Jakan, and I belong to the head of the holy Shaper caste. We are both borrowed from the heads of the holy castes."

The Master Shaper, whom the foul tempered warrior hurled to the floor as she pursued the priest, gave the bold Adept a murderous glare. When Sa'eth Kwaad finally understood the true intentions of the bold student, he added, "Warmistress, if you slay this Adept now, he will take our most valuable information with his to the gods."

Kodachi Cha spun her head to meet Kwaad's gaze, sending her long, dark hair swirling gracefully after the venomous eyes. She tore the amphistaff from the chest of the creature who dared to offend her before approaching the two shapers.

"What did the girl say?" Kodachi Cha inquired the Adept when her anger diffused.

"I don't know. It sounds a bit like Basic but I don't really understand what she said." Blood drained from the Adept's face as he responded.

"I know that much." Growled the woman. She then turned to one of her warriors. "Bring us tizoworms. We will understand every word she says!"

"Warmistress, Alpha Red destroyed our tizoworms before it was chased to that desert planet full of _Jeedai_ and destroyed." Intervened Kwaad. 

"Incompetent shapers." The woman muttered before barking an order at one of her warriors. "Bring me Nom Anor's Hapan agent!"

The Master Shaper glared at the princess as Kodachi Cha gave her orders to fetch the man who brought the princess to the system. This princess was either a brat who was showing the demanding side that never appeared on the HoloNet or playing the nearly deadly act of Princess Unpleasant. The shaper was sure of the latter, for he was certain that this child spoke to her father in Basic, but it did not matter. Out of desperation, the Yuuzhan Vong must make certain that this Hapan child would have no excuses, even if it meant appeasing this difficult brat.

-scene change-

Dagger paled as she viewed the holo-message from the Yuuzhan Vong. Outrage spread through her veins like wildfire at the sight of the princess. While she was only half-Hapan and had never met this girl in person, royals were especially important to her mother's clan. Lady Dagger was a refugee camp administrator under the reign of Teneniel Djo and later Tenel Ka. When the administrator's life ended in… Crest shook the thought off. There was always opposition to the refugees on her homeworld and Lady Dagger was lucky to survive as long as she had. All that mattered was that Crest and her brothers were pilots who fought the Yuuzhan Vong, like their father before them.

"My cousin must be devastated." Crestal Dagger heard someone mutter. She turned to see the leader of the group of desert-dwelling Jedi women.

"Your cousin?" One of the Twi'leks asked.

The woman hesitated before speaking. "Oh, never mind that. Here, travelers, take these and may the Force be with you."

"So you are a Jedi. Aren't you helping your fellow Jedi?" The Twi'lek woman's lekku twitched in curiosity as she and Crest accepted the supplies from the desert-dweller.

"I was knighted ten years ago and I'm stationed here to hide some of the children."

A nudge and a few glances from the other female pilots prompted Crestal to blurt, "We'd better go. I don't know when we'll be able to pay you back, thanks, Master Jedi Allya…"

"Just Allya, my friends." The young Jedi grinned. "I'll accept blown-up coralskippers, dovin basals or Coruscant and you don't have to deliver anything here." The response was understandable, for the planet had been considered enemy territory until Alpha Red was brought into the system.

-scene change-

"We must get the princess back to Hapes." Dagger voiced over the comm as the desert landscape zoomed out of view.

"Good to see you think that, too, Crest. The vote up here is six to one." Crest gazed upon the welcome sight of seven starcrafts and smiled. Everyone, including the two who remained near Obroa to collect spare parts, was in the same system at the same time.

"If both Flames and Crest are for it, then I am, too!" One of the other females chirped. The grin broadened as the girl heard the consensus from the remaining pilots. It was not planned, but there would be another fight in the capital system.

"Let's catch some light." Crest ordered her astromech. Another fight meant another bask in the sun thanks to the modifications Ben made to the starfighters. The girl pushed aside her long, rich hair and adjusted a few of her controls.


	13. Part 13

Part 13

Ben swallowed his surprise as he studied the solar system before him. The dovin basals and the rings were in their place, but defenses were not as thick as expected.

"Looks like those asteroids are still there." Someone commented over the radio.

"It's not like Hoth or Alderaan. It wouldn't be difficult to fly around that ring." Ben replied.

"Let's just get rid of those dovin basals while nobody knows we're all here. Flames, we'll cover you if you need to concentrate." Ben's wingmate replied.

"Mind if I send you first, Crest?" Ben offered. When the young woman agreed, Ben allowed for the Force to flow through him. As his range expanded, Ben sensed the hard, cold metal that composed the starfighters and the somewhat unanimous excitement that radiated from the mix-and-match group of pilots that had been brought together a year ago. He knew he did not feel every member of the group, so he reached further into the Force to extend his probes by a few kilometers.

At last, Ben was able to feel everyone. _Everyone plus Sil._ The Jedi reached out toward his cousin, but her presence receded upon his touch, as if she was hiding something. Then, almost as quickly as the presence withdrew, it was back, but different from before. Ben could tell that his cousin was showing him some mask and he reached out to undo the trick.

The young Skywalker returned his attention to the pilots when he received a flash of fear from them. He could use that old technique to unveil his Hapan cousin's deception anytime, but he could only guide the battle at the moment. He focused his attentions on a starfighter and allowed the Force to show him what the other pilot perceived. Then, using what he knew of the ancient battle meditation that Jacen had rediscovered, Ben sent the fighter to the perceived location of the dovin basal and hoped that no gravity shields would crush his friend. 

Ben maneuvered himself slightly to avoid the attackers broke through the circle of pilots who defended his ship. _Curse it! I'm not fast enough. Jacen, why do you always have to wait 'til there's a huge fight to meld us all?_ Ben then shook the thought off. The lack of speed was not Jacen's fault, for he was the only Jedi in the system who was willing to participate.

"Buy me a few more seconds. I think that princess might help me speed this up." Ben pushed a lock of hair back and once again reached out to his distant cousin. His high hopes were demolished as he received the most languid of responses from Sil.

Whatever words Sil might have been thinking of were transformed into static by the time Ben heard her thoughts, but he knew she had said something about a touch from another Force user.

"Hey Flames, it's about time we get moving!" Someone complained over the comm.

"Do your thing, but be a bit more careful! You only have the planet's gravity to speed you up! I'm going into that ring." _I hope I won't get any attention!_ Ben thought as he evaded asteroids, ships, and plasma.

"Want me to blow that up, Two?" Ben did not realize that he had an enemy on his tail until the friend's offer. Ben considered his options before speaking. The first choice was to lose the skip in the artificial ring around the planet and the second was to have it blown to oblivion.

"Take him out and make sure nobody else decides to follow me on that joyride." The Jedi finally decided, for the pilot of the skip was likely to know the area better than any of the natives of the galaxy.

Ben's X-Wing shook as a bolt of plasma hit the shield on the rear end. Pretending as if nothing had happened, Ben dove into the ring that was once Coruscant's moon.

_Infected… not with Alpha Red… but still weak._ Ben heard the voice through the Force almost as soon as he found a place large enough to hide his X-Wing.

_Can you repeat that a bit louder? I don't think I caught what you're saying._ Ben sent back, wishing that Streen was present.

_Tell the Alliance, TAKE OUT THOSE DOVIN BASILS WHILE THEY'RE STILL WEAK!_ It took a while, but Ben Skywalker finally recognized the presence as that of Jysella Horn's. _So my cousin's been trying to point at you._ It made sense, for if Jysella had somehow lived through being blown up in space, she would have attempted to any Force sensitive in the area, especially when there was urgent news.

_Thanks, 'Sella, but how do I trust that?_ Ben thought at Jaina's former student using her nickname. 

-scene change-

Sil winced as she saw her crimson blood on the fingertip of the gray-faced person before her. There was no pain, but the Jedi child knew that it was due to the Yuuzhan Vong depressant that had kept her asleep for hours and made her body staticky in the Force.

"My child, you can just tell us about all the other heirs of Hapes. You'll be released and we'll your rivals and then your mother will have no choice but to crown you. All you have to do is tell us who they are." The apparently young shaper offered.

Sil nearly smiled and opened her mouth to blurt out every last detail on her mother's family, for the captors had truly hit home on her desires. She would never willingly admit it, but for years, she had wanted every last prince and princess, perhaps save her sister and grandfather, dead. _No, if Murra wants to live, she'll have to either stay out of my way or kill me. Mother's too nice and those cousins will see it should I ever inherit the crown._

The princess instinctively drew her presence in the minute a mind probe hit her, for it was more than disgraceful for a Hapan to be caught plotting, especially by a Jedi. The stakes multiplied when the person was a Jedi who had still had much to learn about self-defense. Then, using what little access she had to the Force in her condition, Sil summoned a façade. A moment later, the other Jedi returned with an offer of a meld that resembled the battle meditation that Father sometimes used, but he quickly revoked it when he apparent felt her condition.

Upon realizing that Ben Skywalker was in the system despite the threat, the girl sent him the impression she had felt from someone on the planet, hoping that his needs might be met.

-scene change-

"Tell the brat to speak of her crèche-mates! She's given us enough excuses." Kodachi Cha ordered the man who had spied on the Hapan government for Nom Anor the minute he arrived on the scene. 

"Princess, you have much incentive to tell us of the children of your mother's house and of your father's house. Especially Ben Skywalker and the hidden children of the twins." The spy gave an elaborate translation in Hapan.


	14. Part 14: Students of the Trickster

Part 14: Students of the Trickster

_Ben Skywalker, is this you?_ Jysella Horn put as much force into the thought as she could. Ben did not reply in words, but he gave an affirmative answer nonetheless. With another thought, Ben reminded the other Jedi of the topic of the exchange.

_Oh yeah, those dovin basals._ The woman shut out her sense of sight and concentrated on recalling images from the day the rogue shapers snuck into the damuteks. She then sent them to Ben with as much emphasis on the images as she could.

_That was you?_ Jysella sensed the Skywalker's astonishment.

_And many others. You're in a battle; we'd better meld._

_You are alive?_ Jysella's last few words flew past Ben as he fully realized who he was thinking at. _But I felt you die! I felt that pain._

_I almost did die. I went EV a bit too late and my X-Wing blew up on me. Then I woke up to a bunch of Vong._ Ben felt a nagging that he could not explain in words. He then remembered the meld that he had totally forgotten in his astonishment. Ben slowly gave himself over to the woman and felt her tactics coursing through him at nearly the speed of light. Through the meld, Ben heard something about trajectory and many things that resembled algebra, but the math and physics were impossible to follow. For a moment, Ben wondered if Jysella had acquired those skills under Jaina's instruction. If she had, then choosing to hide instead of seeking out his cousin had been a colossal mistake!

_Hey Ben, her offer's probably still open. Master Jaina wanted to take you ever since a month after I was knighted._ Jysella sensed Ben's thoughts.

_How did you? ­_ The amazed Ben could barely finish his thought.

_No time.­ Just move those ships! Your mind's free!_ Jysella urged. Ben was momentarily dazed, but understanding suddenly slammed into him. Jysella Horn had done everything within her power, and all Ben had to do was obey her instructions and fly himself. No words came from the woman, but she sent pictures and Ben moved the ships into their positions in the images. Both Jedi sensed something large approaching, but neither stopped to pay attention, for they had defenses to take down. 

-scene change-

"Princess, Hapes will be paid millions of credits of you will just talk about the descendants of your father's twin." The translator offered.

"Some water? I can barely talk." The princess hoped to stall for time, for the water was her last excuse to remain unresponsive. The Yuuzhan Vong barked incomprehensible arguments at each other, most likely about embracing pain, before one of them finally handed her a pouch to drink from.

As she sipped the water, the girl weighed her options. If the truth was told, the princess, if not the entire Hapes Cluster, might have much to gain, but if a lie was made to sound truthful, the prize still existed, provided that the Vong would keep their promises. But no Jedi, in her right mind, would make an enemy out of the Solos, especially not one who wished to keep her blood right to sixty-three worlds. _And if I were caught lying, they'd¡­ No, I am a Hapan and they will not suspect a lie._ The princess thought, not knowing how dangerous her gambles and Hapan pride would be.

"Now, tell us what you know of your cousins and you will have unimaginable wealth."

"Oh, you mean Cherie?" Sil tried to appear as honest as possible. Hapan women relied fully on veils to hide their body language and she was no exception. When the Yuuzhan Vong nodded, she continued as glibly as she could. "She was dead before she was born and that's the only first-cousin I know."

"You will need to tell us more about this Cherie before you can have the money. Why did this child die?"

"Cherith Fel. Born: 30 years ABY. Died: 30 years ABY Cause of death: well, the body of a goddess isn't fit for carrying human children. Is that enough?" The Jedi suppressed a gasp when she realized that the story she had told was partially true, for her aunt truly did miscarry a girl who was to be named Cherith.

"Jaina Solo Fel disappeared for three months eight years ago. Was she carrying twins?" The warrior woman grunted something, and the intendant translated.

"That is absurd. The human gestation period is nine months! If my aunt really was pregnant, she would be gone for nine months, not three!" The princess tried to laugh as hard as her lack of energy would allow. "As far as I know, she was on a mission of some sort." 

"Tell us more."

"I would if I knew more!" Sil did her best to feign an expression of impatience to match the outburst. "The Republic, or whatever's left of that weakling government, would never let a Hapan know this kind of information in detail!"

The eight-fingered man uttered something, and the intendant explained in Hapan. "Infidel princess, you would surely know of Hapan matters. We intercepted this transmission from the flagship of your fleet. It was directed to the Queen Mother. Perhaps you can tell us what this is about." 

_"Finish the reforms!"_ The rest of the recording was inaudible, but it did not matter. The monarchy and matriarchy were crumbling, and Grandfather had actually supported Mother's actions.

_"Princess, these men are becoming more and more outspoken. More and more of them forget their places and think that they can help your mother run a government. They vote like the fools in that indecisive New Republic and we both know what happened to it."_ The voice of Isolder's cousin seemed to echo.


	15. Part 15

Part 15

_Blind the eyes in the system. Don't let any yammosk know we're here._ Sheng Lah commanded his personal ship as it dropped out of hyperspace around the place that used to be Coruscant's orbit. Unlike most vessels in the galaxy, Sheng Lah's _Spectrum of Insight_ was a hybrid between the technology of the natives and the creatures of the Yuuzhan Vong. Most of the ship had originated from a seedling from Zonama Sekot, but the sole dovin basal was an offspring of one of the captured Yuuzhan Vong vessels. The _Spectrum_ was the size of an X-Wing, perhaps slightly larger, but unlike the starfighters, the ship was packed with sensory equipment.

The Jedi disconnected himself from the biological part of the ship and reached for the mechanical controls. He did not believe the Yuuzhan Vong would have access to technological sensors to detect the presence of the _Spectrum_, but precautions had to be taken.

The Yuuzhan Vong Jedi froze in his surprise as he spotted a few dozen starfighters exchange fire with the coralskippers that defended the planet. The dovin basal, which worked in conjunction with the ship's hyperdrive, made the _Spectrum_ one of the fastest ships in the galaxy, yet dozens had arrived on the battleground before Sheng Lah.

The man's first instinct was the join the fight, but knowledge of his ship's abilities forced him to remain in the distance. Unlike other privately owned ships, the _Spectrum_ had neither weapons nor shields and most people refused to believe the ship's descriptions until they thoroughly examined the ship. Many thought that the dovin basal served as a shield generator, but its sole function was to move the ship. The ship's only defenses were agility and invisibility. While Sheng Lah, like any other Yuuzhan Vong warrior, was willing to die, he could only allow himself to die if there was a good reason. _And a pointless, suicidal flight isn't a good reason._

The Yuuzhan Vong wanted to reach out with the Force, but he remembered that he was missing from all sensors and he withdrew his presence. _They won't see me and if there's a Jedi besides Sil, they won't act like I'm here._ Sheng thought as he withdrew into himself and adjusted the his senses so that he could see only faint shadows in the part of the Force that most Jedi used.

As the _Spectrum_ drifted toward the planet that used to be Coruscant, Sheng Lah found himself still able to sense one of the pilots, much to his surprise. _Only a Jedi can be sensed at this stage. How is that possible? This is characteristic of Master Durron, but I know he was with the Jedi Council when I left._ Without reaching out, Sheng Lah carefully analyzed what the midi-chlorians in his blood told him. As he examined his feelings of the planet, he found two dim presences instead of one. The man rescanned the surface of the planet with his mind, but impossibly, the results were the same each time. At first, Sheng suspected that Sil was using Force delusions, but he ruled out the possibility, for Sil did not know of the technique and she would never use the Force to such an extent for the sake of deception. 

_Looks like I've walked into a rogue Jedi hangout._ Sheng Lah thought when he finally accepted the possibility of a second Jedi on the planet's surface. With his Vongsense, the Yuuzhan Vong reached between the three other Jedi and used a technique he had heard of in Master Veila's crèche to eliminate all obstacles that could be felt through the Force. The Yuuzhan Vong grabbed the creatures that interfered with the Force one by one and convinced each to sleep.

_Take me to the edge of the atmosphere, preferably under that X-Wing._ The nearly scar-less Yuuzhan Vong reconnected with the biological components of his ship and gave a destination. The range of Sheng Lah's senses was limited whenever he used the hybrid between the Force and the Vongsense, so the he needed to be as close as he could to the three other Jedi in order to finish the process he had started.

When the young man was sure that every creature capable of clouding the Force was asleep, he adjusted his senses in order to access more of the Force. He then snatched the other three Jedi mentally. The Yuuzhan Vong became aghast with disbelief when he heard the faint voice of Ben Skywalker conversing with that of a woman, whom he had recognized as Jysella Horn after a few seconds. _That old technique… It has more than one function! Either that, or I've been blasted out of the sky and I'm about to join those two in the realm of the gods._

The Yuuzhan Vong felt a wave of energy and realized that both Jysella and Ben had been giving themselves to the meld that Sheng Lah had glued together and amplified. _No, I just cleared things up and they did the actual melding._ The meld continued to strengthen, and Sheng Lah spotted Sil sacrificing small amounts of her powers to the meld.

For a minute, Sheng Lah wondered why none of the other Jedi sensed him, even though he was the bridge of their mind meld. The Yuuzhan Vong closed his eyes, but instead of meeting complete darkness, he found himself surrounded by dense light. The light had the shape of a wall and although Sheng Lah could see both sides of the plane that the wall had divided, everything was blurred. _A wall of light… I'm stuck in the middle of it. What is it supposed to mean?_

The Yuuzhan Vong suddenly dropped to his knees as he, through Ben Skywalker and Jysella Horn, felt a fleet approach. In the midst of the discovery of the two 'dead' Jedi, Sheng Lah had forgotten his immediate assignment. The long, thick fingers of Sheng Lah's left hand flew over the technological controls of the ship as he used his other hand to open the ship's equivalents of eyes and ears. The _Spectrum_ was fraught with the sensory equipment and Nuren Lah had even deemed the Jedi 'Praetorite from Domain Lah' once.

Almost as soon as the _Spectrum of Insight_ started to take holos and other information of the planet and its surroundings, Sheng Lah's hands landed on the controls directly in front of him and began to encrypt the information.

"Send it to the Alliance." Sheng Lah then switched on one of the comm channels. The Alliance needed to know that both Ben Skywalker and Hotshot Horn were alive and at least one of them was in one of the starfighters near the overfed dovin basals.

-scene change-

"Reforms? You brought me all the way here to ask me that? Why that's just some minor renovations for the palace!" The princess laughed.

"Then why do you seem so angry?" The spy asked.

"Because you're wasting some valuable time."

"Is that so, Princess?" The spy's words dripped with sarcasm. "The warmistress over there will have at least my head if I tell her that. Mark my words, princess. You do not want me dead."

"Then tell her whatever she would like to hear." The princess suggested as she stole a glance at the muscular beauty with the asymmetrical hair and extensive armor.

The intendant was speechless. The advice seemed sound for the circumstances, but it came from the mouth of a _Jeedai! But good advice is good advice. I can't believe I haven't thought of that simple, Hapan custom after all that time I spent with the people. Hapan custom… Sacred twins! She'd been telling me what would benefit her! I guess I just didn't climb high enough on the food chain._ The man thought as he accessed what he knew of the warmistress.

"She says that the reforms are to create a new arrangement of stars and planets for this galaxy. She says that some superweapon is about to arrive in the system." The spy struggled to keep his voice steady as he concocted a story.

"Interesting. Carry on without me while I speak with my commanders." Kodachi Cha grinned maliciously as she strode off. "Foolish little girl, you have just sealed the doom of your little weapon."

"Master Shaper, may I speak with you personally?" The intendant inquired as soon as Kodachi Cha was out of sight.

"Go ahead." The shaper replied curtly.

"From what we know of these humans, is what the princess said about this so-called Yun Harla true?" The intendant inquired.

"It doesn't matter whether or not this princess was honest. All that matters is that the warmistress believes it to be true. I hope you know what you're doing. If she finds no weapons before dusk, we will be dead." The shaper snickered coldly.

"We? You must be mistaken, Great Shaper, for only I shall die." The spy disagreed.

"You think she will only release you? How naïve. We brought the recordings. We took part in this. She'll have us the yargh'un pit, too. We, including Djo, are drifting through space in the same coralskipper." Kwaad gave a rare lecture.

"Then please excuse me ignorance, Great Shaper and young Adept. I have a plan; I just don't know if you'll like it." The spy dropped his gaze as he as he spoke.

-scene change-

"Warmistress, you come in time." Supreme Commander Tsun bowed to Kodachi Cha as she entered the bridge of her personal ship and stroked the villips of her Supreme Commanders.

"Rise, Supreme Commander. What am I about to miss?" Kodachi Cha gave the Yuuzhan Vong equivalent of an amused smile.

"We have captured the leader of these pests that sting our dovin basals." Tsun reported.

"Continue."

"We believe this is the _Jeedai_ of this swarm of fire-bees. I offer to have my priest sacrifice this nuisance to Yun-Yammka."

"No, leave this _Jeedai_ to me. Take this infidel to my ship." Kodachi Cha ordered. "In the meantime, make sure no infidel weapons enter this system."

"Sacrifice this infidel with the woman from Domain Horn when the time comes." The thoroughly tattooed woman ordered the leader of her priests.


	16. Part 16: Still in th Sky

Part 16: Still in the Sky

"What the…" Sheng Lah's breath was knocked from him before he could finish his curse. He had thought he convinced every creature in the area to nap, but apparently, he had missed at least one. Within one standard minute, the apparent cousin of the voxyn had completely scrambled his Vongsense. He then remembered the strange encounter with the creature who blocked his senses on Zonama, but he was too late, for the energy used to meld Ben and Jysella had escaped Sheng Lah's control and slammed the Yuuzhan Vong hard against his seat. The ship, sensing the chaos in its pilot, jolted.

"Oh, no! Oh, Sith, no!" Sheng Lah's normally blue-gray face paled as he watched his out-of-control ship plummet toward the mixture of plant life and buildings that composed Coruscant.

-scene change-

"Hey Flames, you're up!" One of the pilots pointed out to Ben over the radio. Ben wanted to reach out with the Force and stop One's disabled starfighter from spiraling toward the planet, but the words of the pilot behind him stopped his hands.

"Don't worry, Holo-model, I'm picking up where she left off." Ben assured the boy behind him as he charged at the overgrown dovin basal and fed it a series of laser blasts.

"Looks like those women on that backwater planet have some pretty good stuff." Commented the leader of the Twi'lek pilots as she watched the futile attempts the dovin basal made at defending itself. A void began to suck the first few shots, but the weakened creature could not maintain its defense, and all but one beam lived to put a dent in the Yuuzhan Vong creature.

"Forgive me if I end up late." Ben muttered as he watched Crest go EV. The witches of the Dathomiri desert apparently supplied clothing in the form of Jedi cloaks, for a black robe wrapped itself around the pilot's clothing as she descended into the second level of Coruscant's medium-sized atmosphere. Only seconds later, a ship left the worldship that orbited Coruscant and dived after the sixteen-year-old girl's body. 

The remaining pilots watched helplessly as one of their leaders was captured via the Yuuzhan Vong equivalent of a tractor beam. "Kriff you, Crest! Now I have to pick up Sil, Jysella, and you! You'd better stay in one piece."

"Oh, stang!" Ben muttered as he saw three skips converge upon his X-Wing. Just as he prepared to maneuver, a surge of energy slammed him in the chest. He reached out through the Force and realized that whatever linked his mind to Jysella's had been destroyed and the energy he had contributed to the meld was returning to its source. The Force-generated explosion jerked Ben's arms wildly, and Ben watched in horror as his X-Wing danced around as if its pilot was drunk. Ben's lessons in safety told him to release his grip on the controls of the starfighter, but instinct said otherwise. Shots were fired randomly from the weapons ports and a cloud of plasma inhibited Ben's vision like a fog. Ben Skywalker was, for the moment, the chaotic center of the impromptu battle.

When the red-haired Skywalker finally recovered from the hit of the Force, he counted two less skips and pieces of a scarred body, which were barely visible against the blackness of space, floating in front of the X-Wing. Ben shuddered to think about the Yuuzhan Vong's death by depressurization.

"Wow, Flames, you really lived up to that name!" One of the amazed pilots commented over the radio. By some pure, Jedi luck, Ben had evaded all plasma bolts and blown two skips out of the sky in his crazed madness. Ben's grip on the controls tightened when he heard traces of communication over the comm, for it meant that some Alliance ship was approaching.

-scene change-

Jysella wanted to scream when the backlash from the destruction of the meld slammed her into the cell's coral walls, but her logic, or what remained of it for the moment, drove her to draw every scream into herself. The Shamed Ones she had organized would come, and Valin, or anyone other Force user, did not need trouble with his commander for charging into the system spontaneous on 'some delusional claim about a dead Jedi'.

The energy of the Force-wave became increasingly difficult to control and the Jedi Knight channeled it at a random spot on the living floor. Before the drained woman could see the results of her blast, she collapsed against the wall and blacked out.


	17. Part 17: Angel of Death

Part 17: Angel of Death

"Crèche-mates, Yun-Shuno's incarnation has been captured! In order for her to free and redeem us, we must free her!" The speaker's voice was fraught with conviction as she roared from the podium.

"We must free her!" The crowd of Shamed Ones and others who dedicated themselves to their heretical cause echoed in unison, totally disregarding the possibility of Shimrra's followers eavesdropping on their meeting and disintegrating the gathering.

"So far, only one warrior has been sent to track and free her. Rapuung had a reputation for returning from the realm of the gods, but that was before Ganner closed the gate. We must send more warriors; he needs reinforcements." The Shamed woman continued when the cheers died down.

"Reinforcements! Reinforcements! Reinforcements!" Fists rose to match the rhythm of the cheers from the crowd as former warriors poured into the area before the speaker and volunteered. 

Nom Anor carefully donned his ooglith masquer before emerging from the crowd of Shamed Ones and heretics. The expected shouts of 'Yu'Shaa' came almost instantly.

"He's alive!" 

"Great Prophet, your return is timely. Yun-Shuno had been captured after our last gathering and we have not heard from the warrior we sent." The Shamed One on the podium told Nom Anor in a melancholy voice. Nom Anor read some distrust in the eyes of the speaker.

_So they think Jysella Horn is Yun-Shuno._ Nom Anor thought.

"Attacking the prison complex is foolish. We must attack the Place of Bones! Change will come, and we must work to stop Yun-Shuno from being sacrificed to one of her equals!" Nom Anor bellowed as he took the position that the woman had ceded to him. "Our redemption is at hand!"

"Yu'Shaa!" The woman who had apparently lead the Shamed Ones gasped at Nom Anor's words. She ten took a step back and added in third person. "Never mind. Taan yields."

Despite her words, Taan still wished to protest Yu'Shaa's words and decision. Only the danger of angering the masses drove the woman to acquiesce to the self-proclaimed prophet. The ooglith masquer and illogical plan had awakened a great amount of suspicion within the woman. _Somehow, the masquer, the plan, and disappearance just don't add up._ A dark blue finger curled around her chin as her lip twitched. Before the Prophet could notice, however, Taan had resumed her previous posture.

"I am the Prophet! Everybody follow me to freedom!" Nom Anor roared as he waved a staff that he had brought with him. He stole a glance at the Shamed woman beside him. Nom Anor did not trust others, but he felt that he needed to especially keep his eye on her.

Unable to draw any distinct conclusions, Taan narrowed her gaze and decided to merely observe in detail the Prophet's behavior. She was neither a shaper nor an expert in body language, but she was not completely ignorant, either, for she had learned from the _Jeedai_ Jysella Horn.

Taan carefully kept her pace as she followed the bald Nom Anor exactly half a step behind him. She asked. "Prophet, how had you survived all these years without us knowing? I am Taan, priestess whom Yun-Shuno had hand picked." The words were half true, for decades ago, Taan had been a member of the priest caste.

Nom Anor gave Taan a look, but before she could process the information, he had disappeared into the maddened mob of Shamed Ones. Taan did not know why, but she was glad that the rogue shapers who joined the cause were not present to hear Yu'Shaa's speech. _More strange behavior coming from that Prophet._ The mystified Taan thought. 

As Nom Anor swam anonymously through the crowd, he grinned maliciously. The Shamed Ones were charging into their deaths and he was proceeding to set traps out for those who would come to the planet's surface to attempt to rescue the princess. The heretics would think that they were freeing Jysella Horn, but they would be more than a standard week early and by the time of her sacrifice, these Shamed Ones would be dead. To both the unsuspecting heretics and any Jedi who would come, Nom Anor was like an angel of death. 

-scene change-

"Princess, Kodachi Cha is gone. We will take you with us." Explained the intendant who spied for Nom Anor.

"What is going on?" Asked a puzzled Sil. 

"We are rescuing you, and ourselves, from the mistress. If you don't want a disgraceful death by her amphistaff, you will come with us." The Yuuzhan Vong grinned, baring his fangs slightly as he did so.

"This is some rescue. You did not even bother to untie me." Sil muttered sarcastically as she twisted her neck so as to avert the Yuuzhan Vong man's gaze.

"The Master Shaper instructs you not to move, Princess." The intendant translated impassively. Using the finger that normally functioned as a microtome in the damuteks, Kwaad carefully cut away at the vines that bound Sil's ankles to the coral wall. The Master Shaper barked an order, and the young Adept removed the amphistaff that restrained the child around the midsection like a belt.

After several seemingly long minutes, Kwaad bisected the last of the vines and reached under his robes for a powder that he thought he would never touch. The princess hissed as the acid dissolved the blorash jelly that bound her wrists.

"Embrace the pain, child. Were you a Yuuzhan Vong, you would have taken your first trip to the Embrace a year ago." Sa'eth Kwaad could not stop the cold comment due to his training and background.

"Maybe you… Aaah!" Sil screamed in pain as she attempted to land on her feet but failed due to the deep cut on one leg from the kidnapper. She dropped to one knee before both hands smacked the coral floor. The effects of the sedative had worn off completely, for she could feel the spiking pain.

"You truly are a brat." Sighed the intendant as he reached under the tangle of sticky, waist-length hair and scooped up the fallen princess due to the lack of time. "I'll only carry you out this once, unless you truly do wish to stay here. I hear your father's domain has a famous habit of regenerating after we kill them."

"I am flattered that you mistake me for a Charuban fox-cat. Search for Anakin Solo, and you will prove yourselves wrong." Sil replied as the Yuuzhan Vong carried her out of the room. _Curse it! The one time I don't try to act like a brat I end up insulting these people. I should have talked to Sheng or Tahiri more since I didn't find many files on the Yuuzhan Vong culture in the Hapan database._ "Thank you for preserving the one life I do have."

"I stand slightly corrected." The Yuuzhan Vong scoffed as he carried off the princess. "Princess, you have spoken of your father's domain but not of your mother's other heirs. Out of curiosity, where are your closest crèche-mates?"

"There was one other born to my mother and his ashes were scattered over our ocean eleven years ago." Sil spat out in disgust.

The Yuuzhan Vong intendant wanted to question the teen's body language, but his knowledge of the Hapan culture stopped his mouth. The Hapans were a matriarchal people, and males who died young were not valued.

_What are you talking about? I'm the only other child born to our mother. One, I'm not a boy and two, I'm still alive!_ Sil loosened her grip on the Yuuzhan Vong who transported her as her younger sister's voice took her by surprise. Somehow, despite the distance, Murra had heard her sister's lies. Sil frowned slightly as she realized that she had inadvertently touched her eleven-year-old sister when the question was asked.

_If you want to stay alive, you will play along._ Sil threatened her sister. She was not sure if the words came through, but Murra remained silent afterwards. The artificial light dimmed as the Yuuzhan Vong descended away from Kodachi Cha's 'playroom'. Sil tried to read the faces of the shapers and the intendant, but scars and unfamiliar facial structure returned no favorable answers.

"What is it this time, Princess?" The intendant snarled grumpily as Sil twitched wildly in his arm. She heard the words, and yet she did not, for the Force had slammed her just as it did Sheng Lah, Ben, and Jysella.

_No!_ The child thought as she felt the robeskin twitch to lick the slash wound beneath her knee. Blood from the cut continued to trickle despite the fact that the robeskin was drinking as fast as it could. She had spent tens of hours healing the cut, or at least doing as much healing as she could while drugged, but the Force had undone all the work in less than one second.

As vision became increasingly difficult, Sil could not help but wonder if the 'rescue' was but a kidnapping plotted by a different agent. _Just like the last attack on Queen Hikari… Her twin sister's followers took care of her attackers and carried her off. Even now nobody knows where she is. Anjdmort, if you're taking me to your world right now, I hope you do it fast._ Left with no choice, the Jedi closed her eyes, trusted her fate to the Force and prayed to the Guardian of the Graveyard from Hapan mythology, for the time for her to draw her hidden weapon was far from the present.


	18. Part 18: Another One

Part 18: Another One

Sheng Lah's bulky, well-cared-for muscles tensed as his ship's nose pierced a layer of vegetation on the planet once called Coruscant. _Pull up! Sorry I upset you!_ The gray-skinned man commanded his ship. The _Spectrum_ obeyed merely seconds before a jittery feeling overtook it and spread to the owner.

_Either Nuren's entire fleet is here, or Sekot took Zonama to the system._ Sheng Lah thought as the excitement threatened to swallow his mind. The ship skimmed through treetops and skirted what remained of buildings before penetrating someone's transparisteel window and reducing its speed inside an abandoned building that might have once been someone's warehouse or hangar. _I broke and entered I can't believe I'm as bad as the rest of my people._ The gray-skinned Jedi thought as he braced himself for the rocky reduction in the speed of his ship.

As expected, the _Spectrum_ shook violently from the pain caused by flying shards of transparisteel and burns from friction with the part of the floor that remained intact in terms of technology.

The owner of the ship was slammed hard into the controls before him as the ship hit a wall after skidding on the floor in circles. The impact would have sent the pilot out of his seat and into the space beneath the controls were it not for his crash webbing. _I never knew hybrid means half the common sense of a droid!_ Sheng Lah cursed mentally as he undid his crash webbing. When all but the hybrid ship's complaints of pain and damage died down, Sheng Lah pried open the hatch above his head and emerged.

The Yuuzhan Vong Jedi sighed a relieved sigh as he realized that his ship deliberately chose to stop and rest in an old hangar. Much to his surprise, the _Spectrum_ was intact save a few bruises to the nose and belly. Sheng Lah carefully sealed the hatch and ordered the ship to 'lock' before going off to prospect his surroundings. The Yuuzhan Vong Jedi smiled slightly, for only ones who could find their way through every lock on his ship were a few trusted Jedi.

As he stared off into the direction of the glaring sunlight, white washed over him and he saw another vision. It was the wall of light again, only that this time, there was a ceiling on top of the wall and the Jedi saw a tall, Yuuzhan Vong warrior who embodied the ideal appearance for a male of his caste on one side of the wall. Unlike most Yuuzhan Vong, the skin was flawless save a scar from a lightsaber burn on his left arm, which identified the man as Sheng Lah. Next to himself Sheng Lah spotted an aging human with graying blonde hair. Sheng Lah saw himself walking in and out of the mysterious place through the walls with relative ease, but the story was different with the stranger next to him. No matter how hard the old man pounded and hammered, he could not walk through the wall. Each branch on the faded, X-shaped mark on the old man's forehead pointed to a brown eye the brimmed with frustration and guilt. With a blink of his eyes, the vision disappeared.

"Vergere, if this is your idea of fun, I'm letting you know I am not half as fond of you as Jacen is." Sheng Lah growled in frustration before sauntering down the nearest flight of stairs. The scouting from the air was complete, and now it was time to put labels to everything in sight by questioning the local Shamed Ones.

-scene change-

"Hey Flames, are we gonna take care of a second basal, too?" asked one of the pilots as the first moon-sized monstrosity spun out of control and drifted toward the star at the center of the system.

"Yes. The one at the north pole of the planet. Guys, be careful because this is looking too easy. I think something's about to jump on us." Ben replied over the com as he wove around the space debris to shake off the skips that pursued him

As Ben spoke, a monstrous worldship arose from the shaped planet and began to release coralskippers.

"All my shields are down! I've lost…" The leader of the Twi'leks screamed in horror as the dovin basal on the worldship stripped her clean. A second later, the woman's starfighter disappeared into the giant, eight-armed ship and every skip on her tail followed suit. The worldship shook as molten metal, coral and plasma spewed from the secret entrance that the Twi'lek used.

Ben wanted to open his mouth to protest, but he shoved the words back down his throat as he remembered that he recruited every pilot for their intuition and unconventional ideas. The Twi'lek knew she was dying, so she chose to bring down as many enemies as she could with her. He hoped that the opening on the worldship led to at least one essential organ.

"Let's go down to the planet's surface and give this thing some obstacles to run through." Ben took his X-Wing down toward the mixture of buildings and plant life. "We should be able to get under and through some of these things. Here's where the real princess and Crest rescue part comes." 

"I see one!" Shouted one of the pilots.

"Lead us through, Seven." Ben ordered over the com-link. The other pilot obeyed and the entire group of rogue agents followed in a single file.

"You guys go on and take those dovin basals out. I'm going to get the Hapan princess and Crest. Fuzzy, they're all yours." The rogue Jedi told the Wookiee as he parked his X-Wing on top of a strange plant that grew inside the building through which the pilots flew.

Ben stepped out of the X-Wing and reached out with the Force to locate his cousin and friends. He could feel faint presences in the Force, but from his current position, he could not put a location to any of the signatures. He needed to climb to the top of the building but there were neither working turbolifts nor staircases in sight. Ben glanced around and spotted a small hole in the ceiling above his X-Wing. Perhaps there would be a viewport on the next floor. In a Force-aided leap, the young Skywalker hopped to the top of his starfighter and climbed to the next floor through a hole in the ceiling above him.

"Flames." The com crackled.

"Yes?" Ben answered.

"We're coming back. Those big ships are here and there's these things that look like skips but look kinda like our ships. Fuzzy ordered us to stay, but we'll be caught if we do." Explained one of the Daggers over the com.

"This is the final battle. It doesn't matter if we get caught this time because we'll reveal ourselves anyhow. Go back to Fuzzy and do whatever he tells you. You're forgetting that this is part of our plan." Ben commanded his friend as he used the slick floor as a stool and put his feet back through the hole.

"But…"

"I have my lightsabers and I have the Force. I'm the only person whose chances are even close to moderate on this planet." Ben told his friend.

When his astromech whined and twitched slightly, Ben ordered it to stay and watch the ship. "Don't let anyone except for me touch this." _Good thing this is X-Wing is the same color as this moldy wall._ Ben thought as he removed the headgear. 

-scene change-

"Queen Mother, the _Trebuchet_ is picking up some strange signals. Wait, these are scans of Coruscant." A Hapan Admiral reported to Tenel Ka over the HoloNet.

"Retransmit these to every ship in the Alliance." The Queen Mother ordered. Sheng Lah had obviously done as he was told and crucial sensory data was being passed along the ships via HoloNet like handouts in a classroom.

According to the scans, six dovin basals orbited the planet, but from the viewport of the small _Rock Dragon_, Tenel Ka could only count five gravity-generating creatures plus a cluster of various starfighters around the area of the sixth basal. The warrior queen squinted and managed to differentiate a deteriorating dovin basal from the glare of the planet's sun.

Tenel Ka's finger neared the button for the holo-transmitter as the time came for her to give the orders to spread out, but a disturbance in the Force stopped her. Sekot, or at least something similar in size and Force signature, had decided to follow the fleet that it grew and the Hapan fleet needed to make room for the planet in addition to the task of halting any Yuuzhan Vong reinforcements.

Almost adjacent to Tenel Ka's _Rock Dragon_ was a large, living ship of Sekotian design.

-scene change-

"Sla Tsun." Nuren Lah growled as she recognized the worldship of domain Tsun through the viewport of her flagship. Sure enough, one of the former Supreme Commander's villips took the shape of Sla Tsun's heavily scarred visage.

"Nuren, I missed you. Shamed can only command the Shamed, and not even a Shamed One would follow one who is like me in every respect save that she was dishonorable." The leader of Domain Tsun grinned sarcastically as she drew out her words. Sla Tsun intentionally left out the domain name as an affront to the other Yuuzhan Vong woman.

"And I thought you would improve over the years, old friend." Nuren Lah growled in a low tone, her voice slightly oily from her old age.

"What you think is what you think, old Shamed One. Rrush'hok ichnar vinim hok! Perhaps Yun-Shuno will forgive you after that." Supreme Commander Tsun waved as she spoke in her irreverent tone. "Oh, and I'm being nice."

With a parting gesture, the villip reverted and the worldship of Domain Tsun opened fire on the Sekotan ships.

"Blast this worldship out of the way. It's past time to teach Sla Tsun some manners. Doro-ik vong pratte, my fighters!" Frustrated at being confined to the command room by her failing body, Nuren Lah merely wished luck to the Shamed Ones and Ferroans whom she had trained to fight the battle for Coruscant. 

Just as Nuren Lah shouted the battle cry, sensory data that originally came from the _Spectrum of Insight_'s scans began to pour into the ship's displays. Her lips twitched into the Yuuzhan Vong equivalent of a grin. "You have a good start, Sheng."


	19. Part 19

Part 19

"Master Shaper Kwaad." The villip to Shimrra's throne room assumed the form of the large Supreme Overlord's face. 

"Yes, Dread Lord?" The Master Shaper removed the villip from the folds of his living garments.

"Take this petty princess to one of Jakan's priests. I grow tired of waiting for Ben Skywalker to be turned in. Go and heal those dovin basals before this planet falls to those infidels!" Shimrra ordered. The thin, disfigured Onimi opened his mouth to chant another one of his famous rhymes, but the head of the Shaper caste stopped him.

"Yes, milord." Sa'eth Kwaad tucked the villip under his robes before it could say more.

The young adept asked, "Well, Master Shaper?" A curious glance from the intendant told Kwaad that both of the other Yuuzhan Vong wanted to ask the question.

"Let's hand her over to the priests and get her off our hands. After this, Adept, take fifty workers and come with me. We have work to do." The highest ranking Yuuzhan Vong of the three ordered.

"No. You are members of the holy caste. You should go now. I'll take the princess to the priests." The intendant lowered his gaze and left with the daze, yet somehow serene Sil.

-scene change-

Crest awoke to find herself on the back of a beast of burden. She brush aside locks of messy, blonde hair and spotted a companion lying facedown on the animal. Before she could match a name with the figure, a tall, dark priest yanked both humans off the back of the beast.

'Oh, no!' was her first thought as she noted the resemblance between the damutek before her and the correctional facility on one of the Hapan moons.

The priest spoke in a gruff tone with a warrior, apparently a guard, standing at the Yuuzhan Vong equivalent of a door. The conversation sounded like an argument, but no human could know for sure. It did not matter, for Crest was soon handed to the guard as the priest wrapped a rope-like creature around her ankles and whacked a strange stick against a drum. The shackles tightened to the point where it was merely loose enough to allow blood to flow to the fingers and toes.

The guard began to imitate the priest's actions with the other captive, but the priest shook his head and pointed to one of the legs. Crest squinted as she made out bloody stains against the robeskin that her companion wore. The priest then pointed to the waist-length mess that was once glossy, silky hair. The guard nodded and ferried both women into the living prison. As the guard dragged the two by their collars, Crest gasped. Impossible as it was, her companion, who defied human nature and slept through the entire ordeal, was the princess from her homeworld, Hapes.

Before further thought could enter Crest's head, however, both girls were thrust into a cell. There was already another occupant, but she showed no signs of consciousness. The heaving of her chest told Crest and the guard that the mysterious woman, who appeared to be in her early twenties, was barely alive. The guard stepped forward and muttered a curse as one of his feet sank into a hole on the coral floor. Frustrated, the warrior pushed forward with his other leg, which only served to worsen the situation. A bone-crushing crunch came as pain spiked up the guard's leg. Unbeknownst to the occupants of the cell, the hole that Jysella Horn blasted in her frenzy served to injure one of the guards of the prison damutek.

Grumbling, the guard yanked his broken ankle out of the ditch, hopped out of the cell on one foot, and dropped the wall of coral that separated it from the outside. 

-scene change-

"WHAT?" Kodachi Cha's fist pounded against the console before her as the blaze bugs aligned themselves to represent the warships that just dropped into the system. "This is too soon. Summon Domains Tivvik, Kraal, Carr, and Lah to this system immediately!"

Risking his life, the villip tender protested. "Your fierceness, you are out of your mind! Domain Kraal is your enemy and this rogue commander up there is from Domain Lah according to the report from Supreme Commander Sla Tsun."

Kodachi Cha clenched her fists and gave a satisfied grin as her claw-like nails drove into the tattoos imprinted onto her palm. She reached for her amphistaff, but then remembered that the report from Tsun was most likely of grave importance. "What does Sla Tsun say?"

"The Hapan Queen Mother is here with her fleet and the rogue Nuren Lah has put together most of the forces the blaze bugs represent. Malik Carr is coming eagerly and Khalee Kraal refuses to acknowledge you as warmistress. There is no word from Domains Tivvik and Lah." The villip tender reported.

"May Yun-Yammka smile upon our glorious friend Malik Carr and may the combined wrath of the gods be upon all of Domain Kraal after I am through with them. Tell Domain Carr to concentrate its fire on these Hapans." Kodachi Cha chuckled eerily as blue blood, made black by the dim lighting of the room, oozed from her fist. She then turned to her other officers. "Summon the seers. The day of glory requires the command tower to have its seers."

As soon as her officers nodded in compliance, Kodachi Cha strode off into her private quarters to fuel her vanity and oil her tattoos.


	20. Part 20: Et Voila

Part 20: Et Voilà And There He Is

"Hey, I hear a hum up there! I think it's an omen from the gods! Or maybe the iJeedai/i!" Sheng Lah heard someone shout excitedly as he strolled down the rotting stairs. He could tell that the voice belonged to either a Shamed One or a worker since the language was Yuuzhan Vong and members of higher castes rarely used such tones and words.

"Of course you do! That hum is in the direction of the Place of Bones!" replied another. Before the Yuuzhan Vong Jedi could think, he found himself battling a mob made mostly of underprivileged Yuuzhan Vong for a way down the stairs. He grunted as he smashed into several excited Shamed Ones.

"Out of the way, warrior!" One member of the mob shouted. Sheng Lah was swept off his feet, only to find himself being trampled on by the jittery, excited mob.

Anger swept through the young man as he realized who was inadvertently setting foot on his gray skin. The Jedi taught him to remain calm, but even a Jedi's temper had its limits, especially when idiotic ships and crazed mobs tempted his wrath on the same day. He roared, "What in the name of Yun Yuuzhan is going on here? What's this about the Place of Bones?"

"That is not for you to know, enforcer of Shimrra!" Another Shamed One replied.

Sheng Lah swung his head around to see a severely disfigured man speaking. A lock of wild, black hair blocked his vision but an attempt at prostrating himself blew the hair back. The speaker's head was bald and his face disfigured to the point where it was a wonder that it managed to stay together at all. Both the voice and the missing eye reminded him of something he saw on the HoloNet, but he could not, for the life of him, remember what it was. The Yuuzhan Vong Jedi looked at the strange Shamed One again and realized that something about the visage was horribly wrong.

"You are mistaken. I do not work for the Overlord; in fact, I am a…" Sheng Lah stopped short of divulging that he was a Jedi Knight as the man to whom he spoke showed a surprise. "What the stars is that?"

Something black and putrid shot from the creature that took residence in the man's eye socket and Sheng Lah obeyed his inexplicable instincts. The Yuuzhan Vong Jedi drew his Jedi cloak about himself in defense and blocked as much of the liquid as the movement of the crowd would allow. The Jedi Knight only began to realize what he was pitted against as he watched the jet of black liquid kill some of the unprotected robeskin and seep through his skin.

The Jedi Knight, despite the events around him, closed his eyes and searched his memories. He saw flashes of his days with Domain Lah and his short stay with his mother in the bowels of Coruscant. The young man shook the early memories away and concentrated on the life he lead once he and his mother escaped to Zonama. He remembered water and the first touch he felt through the Force. That touch was from a Cha'a, the first Jedi Sheng Lah ever set his eyes on. He remembered the first time he came before the Jedi Council, which happened because the Jedi were reluctant to welcome a Yuuzhan Vong. He remembered overhearing the news as he left the room. Ten years ago, the Jedi were chased for planet to planet and discovering Force-sensitives, especially children, in refugee camps. They said the iErrant Venture/i was becoming overcrowded. When they were pursued to the Ossus, the Jedi discovered how the Old Republic trained Jedi children by placing them in medium-sized clans. Somehow, Master Veila was worked into the debates and by the end of the day, it was decided that he, and the twenty other children he came to call crèche-mates, were under her care. Sheng Lah did his best to fast forward through his memories again. While he considered his first day with the Jedi one of the best times, now was not the time to enjoy himself. He searched his memories of his days with what the Yuuzhan Vong deemed a crèche and what the Jedi named The Gray Clan, for he felt that what he was looking for was related to his most basic training.

As the poison crept through his skin cells and switched off all but the pain-sensing nerves one by one, the Jedi's eyes widened. iI think I know now! Tionne was with the clan on the /iErrant Venturei, so Master Veila somehow brought the shaper Nen Yim to talk to us. If only I can remember what was it that she said about these eye-things shooting poisons… That is it! That's a poison/i However, Sheng Lah's flash of insight was too late and the blackness of unconsciousness already began to claim his mind. He tried to bat off the tendrils of unconsciousness, but he eventually tired out and allowed them to claim him. Fortunately, he was hit with only enough poison to take him out for a few hours.

"Vua Lah, here is our missing crèche-mate! We have solved the longest missing person case in our entire history!" Sheng Lah awoke to the echoes of a stranger's shout.

"I am not convinced." Scoffed another voice.

Sheng Lah opened his eyes and found five sturdy warriors standing before his crumpled form. All five men shared a deep, ear-to-ear gash, and a tattoo on the backs of their hands.

"If you are Sheng Domain Lah, you will stand up." The first speaker, who stood in the middle of the group, huffed. The Jedi Knight did not know why he pushed himself up to prove his identity, but he forced himself up despite the pains in his chest.

"I am he."

"Welcome to your new homeland, crèche-brother. Come with us. You need new armor and the attentions of the shapers before we can present you to the Supreme Commander. I see that you already have your bandolier and amphistaff." Noted the leader of the group.

"My new homeland?" The dumbfounded Jedi replied. Sheng Lah finally recognized the symbols of his domain and realized that the other warriors had identified him by the tattoos on the back of his hand. For a minute, he wondered why those warriors treated him like and brother and ignored the obvious clothes of an enemy. He then remembered that he left his Jedi cloak in his ship when the planet's heat penetrated his ship and realized that he was pushed down at least half a level after the mysterious man incapacitated him. Judging from the group's leader's words, the Yuuzhan Vong Jedi deduced that the warriors counted the pocket in which he stuffed his lightsaber to be a bag full of thud bugs. iGood./i He thought as he decided to keep his affinity with the Force secret from the other members of his mother's domain.

"I see that you have not been kept current with our status. That is to be expected from the traitor Nuren. Kodachi Cha's mother is from our domain. She bribed the warmistress to recommend us to Shimrra after Domains Hul and Mourr decided to move to other planets. He gave us the hemisphere, except for the Well of the World Brain, Kodachi Cha's command tower, Shimrra's fortress, and every place the priests and shapers claimed." Explained the group's leader.

"They do not know the holy land they have abandoned. All the better for the glory of Domain Lah." Sheng Lah pretended to be a normal warrior. iSithspit! I should have recognized the scent of this place when the /iSpectrumi told me! Domain Lah sprays its territories with this scent. Hmph. I'm not surprised. What Domain Lah wants, it automatically gets when its own members are warmasters. When the warmaster isn't from Domain Lah, the domain bribed. How disgusting, yet this be my own Domain/i

"We are alike in our thinking, Sheng Lah. Domain Cha may have the leadership of our caste, but we are and forever will be the domain that most deserves the treasures of Yun-Yammka."

"Yoog Lah, are you leading us to the worldship?" Inquired the short, scrawny man at the leader's side.

"Vua Lah, our worldship is right before our eyes!" Replied the leader as he led the group down a corridor that the Yuuzhan Vong had obviously dug out. Sheng Lah could see no light, but a gush of wind told him that the one named Yoog Lah had taken the pack of warriors outside.

Sheng Lah looked up and saw the multicolored dots that illuminated the sky and seemed to form a bridge from one end of the sky to another. iThe Bridge of the Gods./i He thought in his awe. He thought the sight was merely an image from his dreams, but he was wrong. They must have been faded memories of his days with the Coruscanti Shamed Ones. iThat poison must have put me out for hours, if it's dark already./i

"Sheng Lah, welcome back to your Domain. We settled the worldship on an old temple of the iJeedai/i." Yoog Lah gave the Jedi Knight a fanged grin as he pointed at a giant, dark figure before the group.

iAnother image from another dream. This must be Domain Lah's worldship. Sithspit! They used it to run over the Jedi Temple! That must be why I feel surges in the Force./i The awed Jedi thought as he recognized the barely visible, tentacled mass before him. Sheng Lah reached out in the Force and tried to scream to as many Jedi as he could reach. He did not have many clues as to what was happening around him, but he knew that landing in Domain Lah territory and being escorted to the worldship required a change of plans.

Jacen and Ben are competing for the spotlight, so either or both of these two could be up next. You can expect the posts to get a little longer since I hate cutting long action scenes into several posts (don't know what happened, just sat down on Sunday and the next thing I knew, I took up six pages to write a lightsaber duel between two people for a fic I'm working on).


	21. Part 21: Ben and Jacen

Part 21: Jacen and Ben 

Jacen watched from a ship's viewport as Coruscant zoomed into view. His thoroughly soaked and thick beard dripped sweat as he endured the ship's malfunctioning heating system. For some inexplicable reason, the room temperature of the particular ship that he was on had a history rising by seven or eight degrees for every hour endured in hyperspace. The Jedi Master could easily dispel the energy around him, but there was another, more important function for his powerful abilities in the Force.

The now heavily bearded Jedi Master followed the steps that worked their way into Jedi routines and began to establish a meld with every Jedi in the system. Information rolled to him at near lightspeed, but after more than a decade of practice, the Jedi Master was able to keep up, and sometimes ahead, of the meld. He extended the meld in hopes of finding his former apprentice, but the one Jedi whom he had been specifically reaching for was the only one not in the meld.

Space distorted slightly as several worldships dropped out of hyperspace and into the capital system. The Jedi in the system sensed the dovin basals' attempts to distort the gravity around the Alliance ships and used their collective powers to keep the crews from banging into ceilings and walls. Lately, the shapers had been growing new dovin basals from an unknown location and the warriors used the extras to fling crews, especially gunners, about their ships.

"Shields are down fifty percent!" Someone shouted.

"Drop all shields, turn on the jammers, and let these Jedi work their magic!" Ordered the captain of the ship.

The officers complied, leaving the ship's maneuvers as its sole defenses. Jacen sighed. When the Jedi were not being accused of things that they were not guilty of, they were worshiped like gods. Sometimes, it seemed, not even teaching fanatics would reduce fanaticism.

As more Jedi dropped out of hyperspace and joined the meld, Jacen's powers increased. When he started performing these battle melds, he sometimes could not achieve the powers to maintain them and knew that there was a higher level. Many years and layers of Ossuan knowledge later, his melding had improved and became impossible to collapse, yet he still felt a ghost of a higher level. There was still at least one undiscovered way to improve.

Jacen's mind stretched farther and felt a group of pilots flying 'behind' Coruscant. From them, he could feel traces of something familiar but he could pinpoint nothing from the distance and through the meld. There were ripples in the Force as several pilots met their ends.

"Fire on that worldship!" Ordered the captain. The ship was being pulled toward the worldship _Glorious Grave_, which belonged to Domain Tsun.

"Just a minute." One of the subordinates replied. A wild increase in speed followed his words. As the Alliance ship came within centimeters of ramming the tentacled worldship, a hundred or so turbolasers fired. The dovin basals, unable to defend with such close proximity, had absorbed only half of the fire with their singularities.

Flashes of red and yellow dominated the sensors as firepower met the oxygen in the worldship and exploded. The Alliance ship shook and people piled onto walls and consoles as the dovin basals died and released all grips that they might have had.

One officer had a stole a glance at the sensors and horror crept over his face as the information registered in his brain. He shouted in his mid-rim accented Basic. "Mutant carrion eaters! We're losing atmosphere! Hull breach in sectors…" Before he could read the locations, he crashed face-down into a wall. 

The officer's news reached Jacen simultaneously as the lash from the meld. He had felt shock, pain, fear, and then silence from some of the people on the ship and instantly knew that some were sucked into space to pay for the destruction of a worldship. He wondered if the fight was worth the losses. The meld wavered for a moment as Jacen found himself atop someone's monitor equipment.

A dismembered arm of the _Glorious Grave _accelerated toward the Alliance ship and threatened to finish it off, but most of the officers were back at their stations in time and the ship narrowly averted a collision.

-scene change-

Ben contemplated his options as he examined the endless landscape beneath his eyes. He had climbed to the top of the tallest building he could find and his crimson, uncut hair waved gracefully in the howling winds. Normally, his hair was spiked, but he had not seen a refresher in days. From what he could piece together with his eyes and Force-sight, he that he was at least a hundred stories above the people he wanted to free. 

By the time Ben had climbed onto the roof from by a combination of turbolift ropes and vines, the sky was completely dark save the 'bridge' and a few explosions that told of a battle in the system. The Jedi was beyond tired from the walking and climbing, but he could not allow himself to sleep when he knew that wild, Vong-shaped creatures roamed the planet. Ben's attention went from his twin sabers to every possible source of flammable material within a ten-meter radius.

Just as fingers wrapped around the hilt of one of the sabers, Ben decided against making a fire. Flames would dispel most carnivorous attackers, but they would only draw attention from any Yuuzhan Vong scouts that might be patrolling the area. The heat would be ideal to cook on, but Ben knew almost nothing about preparing any food that was not raw.

The Jedi sat down on the wet, moss-covered floor and removed some indigenous plant matter that weighed around a kilogram collectively. He muttered. "I hope this is edible."

Within twenty standard minutes, the pile before Ben was reduced to seeds and peels. Not wanting to draw insects and wanting entertainment, Ben hurled the red peels as far as they would travel. After a few minutes, boredom and exhaustion crept into the Jedi's mind and sleep enveloped him.

-scene change-

C'ev Lah was the proud and fierce head of the scouts of his sector of Domain Lah's territory. At least, he was the head of the night scouts. He trotted down his route carelessly, for so far, in the night, the jungle was quiet and there was nothing out of the ordinary.

"Mphm." The warrior soon lost his balance found himself flat on the dirt and duracrete floor. He rose to his knees and glanced at his feet. Just beneath his left foot was a red ikyr/b peel. The scout growled. How dared some impudent Shamed One steal fruit from the Supreme Overlord and then trip him with its peel! Before C'ev Lah could push himself up, the other scouts, unaware of the new obstacle on their route, piled on top of their leader.

"What in the name of the gods is going on?" Demanded the one at the top of the pile. The leader dragged himself from the pile of bodies and explained his view of the story. When C'ev Lah had finished, his scouted were in an uproar.

"I'll track down this nameless one and his colony!" One man shouted. Others joined him and it was soon decided that hunting down the one who threw the peel was better than marching along their uneventful patrol.

"The scent leads that way!" A short, burly man sniffed and pointed.

-scene change-

Ben Skywalker awoke to the thundering sound of footsteps. He wanted to go back to sleep, since it was merely dawn, but gut instinct told him to rise and run. Blue-gray eyes glanced around randomly and spotted gray figures approaching. As they came closer, Ben recognized the people as a crazed group of Yuuzhan Vong warriors.

"You offend us and you offend the gods. Die, vile _Jeedai_!" The apparent leader of the group shouted in Basic and brandished one of the peels that Ben discarded.

_Oh, by the Force! What's the probability of that? Uncle Han was right, this family's not as lucky as I first thought. Sil, you really owe me now._ Ben almost complained as he scrambled to his feet and fled down one of the branches that connected his building to another one like a catwalk. Several thud bugs scored hits on the various organisms in Ben's surroundings, but none found their true target, the moving Jedi. 

Sweat rolled down Ben's face as he landed clumsily on an old Coruscanti street. He spun around for a moment and saw that the pursuers were gaining on him. With Force-enhanced speed, the Skywalker child fled down the only path beneath his feet.

"Curse it!" Ben panted as he stole a glance behind him. Somehow, despite his speed, those crazed men were still decreasing the difference in distance. He complained before forcing more speed into his strained legs. "Why did I ever think I could outrun these beasts?"

_No wait, I never did think I could outrun them._ Ben realized almost a running down streets and jumping between buildings for a kilometer. The Jedi stopped abruptly at the sight before his eyes. He had two ways to continue, a vine that he could swing and a path to his left. He chose the latter and began to return to his top speed. However, before his foot hit the moss-covered floor for a third time, he caught sight of his best hope for survival. His rapidly pounding heart felt as if it was about to burst. Perhaps Ben did not have to outrun those creeps.

After checking quickly to ascertain that no Yuuzhan Vong could see him, Ben lifted the lid of a giant trash cart that had somehow managed to remain intact after all the years and hopped in. As soon as every part of Ben was in the hiding place, the Jedi carefully replaced the covering. The boy's breathing was heavy, and his lungs threatened to both explode and implode simultaneously. He was extremely unfortunate to have offended a group of warriors with a fruit peel, yet he had managed to run for about a kilometer without taking a single hit from the numerous thud bugs that were trained on him.

"Emperor's black bones!" Ben swore when he caught a glimmer of an item amidst the pile of trash. He stared in disbelief at his find. Somehow, someone's intact firebow and pyro-ammo were in the same pile of junk as he. Fire-shooting was a popular sport on Coruscant at one time, and even after the popularity faded, there always had been a core group of pyro-archers. Ben sighed and then grinned, "Well, I hope this thing works. If it does, this will be the third impossible thing that's happened to me today."

As Ben listened for the footsteps of his pursuers, he tested the firebow's abilities to stretch to fit the wielder. When the bow extended to fit Ben's left wrist and hand, the boy's grin widened. Perhaps he should have agreed to allow one friend to accompany him, for the firebow could provide as much protection as Ben's weapons. The Jedi carefully shrank and switched off both the bow and the arrows and then stuffed them between his flight suit and his undergarments.

A few seconds after Ben heard the shuffling of Yuuzhan Vong feet, he lifted the lid and flipped himself out of the trash can. He was already out of breath and could not bear to breathe any more of the choking fumes of discarded material.

Ben heard a distant grunt and turned to see a Yuuzhan Vong pointing at him. Suddenly, an entire crowd of warriors appeared and restarted the chase. He glanced at the path to his right, hoping that it was still clear, but his hopes were dashed when he saw that somehow, there remained a few enemies on the original route. Ben had climbed out of his hiding place five minutes too soon.

The Jedi flicked his wrist and pulled a firebow from one of his sleeves. He did not know the weapon well, but if impossible things continued to happen to Ben, at least one Yuuzhan Vong would be going down. Ben carefully loaded the bow, drew the laser string, and fired. Fire lit up at the sides of the arrow as it passed by the bow.

"Curse you, infidel! This is the first order of abomination! Fire, of all things!" One Yuuzhan Vong scout screamed as he took the shot and every creature on his body went up in flames.

Ben would have laughed had he not been forced to evade barrages of blaze bugs. Sweat poured down his already slimy face and all that Ben could manage through his labored panting was a weak grin. The arrows were good weapons, but Ben decided that they might meet other uses later. _I'll probably need them when I sneak into that prison and get Sil, Jysella, and Crest out._ Ben thought as he returned the bow and ammo to his sleeve.

The warriors, angered by the ignition of the inanimate arrows, doubled their attack on Ben, forcing him to draw out both of his half-sabers. Ben was surprised that he managed to deflect almost half of the blaze bugs after a year's lack of practice. One of the missed bugs forced the Jedi to sidestep and gave him a good view of the vine that could be his escape. All hopes were dashed when one bug severed the vine and hit the plant that produced it, sending leaves everywhere. 

"You're a _Jeedai_ like Anakin Solo. If you are as honorable as he, you will stop running from battle." One burly member of the Yuuzhan Vong group stepped up spoke to Ben in heavily accented Basic.

"I'm not running from my battle; I'm running _toward_ my real fight." Before Ben could think, the words just rolled out of his mouth. _Wow. I never knew the Force could hear things through my ears and then make me say things I'd never think of._ Ben thought in astonishment. _Well, that leaves me one thing to do._ The Jedi glanced over his shoulder at the path he had not recognized before. Ben's voice was barely a whisper. "There's a reason I'm Skywalker."

The red-haired Jedi closed his eyes, reached as far as he could into the Force, and leaned back before somersaulting twice his height and literally falling back. The two half-length, blue blades crossed in midair before they were reduced to mere studs. The two sabers then settled at Ben's hips, one on each side.


	22. Part 22

If this reminds you of Beldandi from Oh My Goddess (anime series), that's because this post is based slightly on that.

Part 22: Counting Nerfs in Lala land

Jysella Horn floated around in impossibly bright and reflective waters for an indefinite amount of time. She stood in the apparent lake and seemed to wander around aimlessly. The woman glanced down and noticed two arms covered in human skin that was flawless save a scar that she received as a child. It was as if her starfighter never exploded on her and the implants that the shapers used to treat the burns and beautify her damaged skin never existed.

The woman submerged one hand under the warm, soothing water and felt for the hip implant that replaced the bone she shattered when she 'died' and as she had expected, there was only her original, human flesh. She looked into the liquid surface, which was a few centimeters beneath her shoulders, and saw her body in its current state instead of the expected reflection. The battered body was slumped against a living wall of coral and another girl, whose mess of light brown hair clouded her identity, laid at Jysella's feet. A third occupant shared the cell and was trying to awaken the other two through shouting and shaking shoulders.

"I must be dreaming." The Jedi Knight muttered. The soft, comforting music that bathed the Jedi's ears suddenly changed its tune to match Jysella's thoughts rather than the infinitely beautiful landscape.

"That's three hundred. Three hundred and one. Three hundred and two. You're number… uhhh… I think I lost count. Oh well, I'll start over. One. Two. Three. Four." Jysella heard someone count and turned her head in the direction of the voice. She felt a slight amount of resistance as her hair met with water.

Whatever body of water was, there was a bank, and on that bank was a girl with flowing, orange-streaked, light brown hair that stopped at her waist. The girl sat on a lush, green meadow without taking even the basic precaution of putting clothes between her skin and the earth. The teen's pale face blushed slightly and held a carefree expression that seemed totally unnatural for the person. A group of randomly bouncing, gravity-defying nerfs surrounded the girl and they each held a carefree and yet possessed expression in their faces.

The Jedi Knight squinted and noticed a blue glow around the younger human and then saw the same light around herself. She remembered the scanner that tested for Jedi potential and guessed that the other person was a Force-sensitive. _We're saved! She can move the foundation beneath the corral floor and dig us all out of this slime pit!_

Jysella inhaled deeply, submerged her head underwater, and swam toward the shore. _Uh-oh_. She thought as she emerged from the water and recognized the other person. If that was the Hapan princess from those Holos, then Jysella would be executed for swaggering shamelessly out of the water and toward the princess and the sentence would be doubled because the only thing obscuring Sil were her tresses_. What kind of world is this? A spirit world where we can bring nothing but our bodies?_

The older Jedi blushed and dove into the water without bothering to close her eyes. Instead of descending toward any sort of lake bottom, Jysella found her apparent spirit form approaching her unconscious, physical body. The Jedi moved closer, hoping to return to her body and her world, but when her hand came within a centimeter of her physical head, a barrier stopped the woman.

"Do not interrupt the healing process of a living thing. Go back to the Force." Warned a voice that Jysella did not recognize.

"Well, excuse me, but I've never been one with the Force and I'm trying to go back to my own body!" The Jedi protested.

"Well, in this case, you must find the healer and stop her. She has gone to the Nether World to heal your broken jaw as well as her own wounds." The mysterious speaker, who refused to appear, replied. Somehow, Jysella's eyes were guided toward Sil and the Jedi gave as much of a gasp as she could while underwater. Through the Force, Jysella could see a lightsaber buried underneath Sil's hair. With a saber around, there was no need to dig.

"The Nether World?" Much to Jysella's surprise, the question in itself had brought her answers. No wonder nerfs bounced however they wished to and people spoke while they were underwater. It was no wonder that Jysella did not feel a ton of pressure threatening to crush her bones despite her distance from the surface. She and Sil were out of their galaxy, in a sense.

"It is the realm sandwiched between the living Force and the teaching Force. Sometimes, this world is referred to as the conducting Force." The explanation sounded and resounded all around Jysella's ears.

"How can a kid like her heal me without staying awake? It's not like I made any appointments with any of Cilgal's apprentices." Jysella was confounded.

Instead of answering, the entity who spoke to Jysella merely displayed an aura around Sil's body. A second later, the aura expanded to include Jysella. The Jedi then understood. The Hapan kid was healing herself when she was brought into the other Jedi's cell and obviously powerful enough to extend a helping hand to the seriously injured Jysella. Since Jysella had hit her head on the wall and sent her soul flying before Sil came, the mysterious guardians saw the Jedi Knight as an intruder.

"Your healer's knowledge of Force-healing was incomplete, and she relaxed herself too much." The voice said and echoes vibrated through the water around Jysella. "Retrieve her, and you will both return to your bodies."

Jysella nodded and swam the long distance between her and Sil. As the movements were reduced the mere rhythm, the Jedi Knight could not help but sing an old, Corellian folksong that reflected her need to borrow from the other Jedi.

"Hey, your highness, let's go back to our bodies! I can take you." The older Jedi shouted her offer as soon as her head broke the water's surface. Sil absent-mindedly ignored Jysella and continued to count nerfs. Sil's eyelids dropped in slow-motion, as if she was ready to fall asleep at any moment. When Jysella grew impatient, she screamed at the younger Jedi again. "Counting nerfs won't help either of us! Now follow me back to our bodies and get the sith out of your stupid trance!"

Jysella's words sounded distant to Sil, who felt as if her consciousness was stretched beyond her capacity and totally stripped of the covers she used to hide her intentions. Glowing ghosts lit the blindingly bright skies above and the princess hoped desperately that she was not joining the Force so soon. The Jedi princess shuddered as she was forced to recognize the people whom she knew to be dead.

"You girls don't belong here; go back!" The ghosts begged collectively. Jysella screamed as a multitude of spirits, in their purest form and without any of their physical belongings, rose out of the water and disappeared into the sky. She looked into the water and saw people venting out of a ship and bursting from the lack of air pressure.

"Do you want the Consortium to fall into someone else's hands? If your mother keeps the throne for one more day or if she gives it your sister, you won't have your worlds anymore!" The acrid voice matched the sharp-featured face of the speaker. The mention of the consortium brought the princess to the spot where her spirit sat and as a result, she had lifted all restraints that she had previously set. The rival heirs mentioned could take those sixty-three worlds over Sil's dead body, and Sil was still alive.

"If you are who I think you are, then why are you helping a Jedi like me? I thought only the Ni'Korish hated Jedi more than you." Sil's years in Fountain Palace restrained her tongue.

"Your goals are close to mine, unlike your mother's and your sister's." The aureating, stately ghost replied.

_Close but not exactly the same. Remind me to betray this old lady when our paths diverge. Oh well, ghosts can't stop princesses and they won't stand a chance against queens. The great Guardian of the Grave makes sure of that_. Sil thought as she turned away from the veiled woman. "What've I been doing all this time?" The princess gasped incredulously and stared at the hands with which she pointed at nerfs.

"You were counting nerfs, your highness." Jysella scoffed, her arms folded across her chest.

"I am just a princess, lady. When I become queen, I…, but for now, I'm just a lowly princess. Let's go back to the world of the living." Sil sighed in response. First, she was caught counting nerfs, even though she considered it a waste of time and never bothered with the task before, and then, that lady just had to remind her of the goal that would be impossible as long as her mother refused to budge from the throne. Oh well. One day, Sil would see to it that she would be the 'one without equal' ruling the sixty-three. _That bragging gossip queen that I have for a cousin must be rubbing off on me_. Sil thought as she realized that she almost blurted out her secrets. Sil glanced down at her fingernails and reddened slightly in anger. Even though she said nothing, her subtly conniving nature was revealed in the form of the dagger-like, crimson fingernails that grew from her fingers.

"Come on, princess. Let's get out of here. This place is giving me the creeps." Jysella did not wait for Sil's response; she merely dove into the water and swam toward the bottom of the lake.

"How can you get the creeps from here? Especially with that tune playing from the water and the ground?" Sil wondered and then waded into the water. When she was finally chest-deep, she grabbed her long, silky hair in one hand and dove underwater. Much to her surprise, her gray eyes neither closed nor felt pain upon contact with liquid. A second surprise came when the princess found herself breathing like she would on land. Encouraged by the discoveries, Sil asked. "Lady, was that you asking me to lend you a feather? You have a good voice."

"Yes and no." Jysella replied. When Sil gave nothing but a curious glance, the older Jedi continued. "The feather's just a part of an old folksong. I mean to ask you…" Jysella trailed off.

"Ask me what?" The princess asked gently, her curiosity piqued. The older Jedi then explained her idea of an escape from the prison damutek. When Jysella finished, Sil said. "Sure. You'll have to cut down any warriors we meet, though; my leg is still weak."


	23. Part 23

It's not normally my thing to do, but I borrowed and translated the first verse of a French song in this post. Au Claire de la Lune doesn't belong to me and you can PM me for the original version.

Part 23

"_In the lovely moonlight, my dear friend Pierrot. Lend me your feather so that I can write… Let me through your doors, for the living Force._" Valin fell off the couch on which he had somehow dozed off as he heard the cherubic voice that could belong to only one person. _I must be hearing things. Remind me to get Cilgal to check my ears. I swear this is the last time I'll ever fall asleep in front of a Holo_. Valin thought. However, if he was not dreaming, then the girl who could mimic and enhance almost any song was alive and singing through the Force. Jysella was singing her rendition of a favorite, million-year-old folk song and her brother had the honor of being in the audience.

"All pilots please report to the hangar. We're dropping out of hyperspace." A voice on the comm interrupted Valin's thoughts. The Jedi Knight stuffed himself into his flight suit and disappeared down the large ship's corridor without delay.

-scene change-

When they reached the bottom, both girls managed to cross back into the land of the living and into their bodies without difficulty. Much to Jysella's surprise, her broken jaw had been healed and the scars were treated so that she could only attract male attention. As her senses came to her, she felt a nauseating taste in her mouth. She groaned groggily. "Oh, what is that taste? It's worse than Yuuzhan Vong food."

"It is Vong food. It came from the walls." The blonde corrected. For a minute, Jysella appeared as if she was about to regurgitate the contents of her stomach. The blonde then added. "You don't mind, do you?"

Jysella shook her head. "I'm used to it. Thanks. I don't know how to repay you."

"Well, it's about time you woke up." Commented the blonde girl who shared the prison cell with Jysella and Sil. The groggy princess muttered something in a mix of Basic and Hapan, which took both Jysella's prodding through the Force and the blonde's translating skills to make sense of.

"Sorry about that. Now that I'm awake, I should undo my hair and get my lightsaber out of it." Sil apologized in Basic. With the help of Jysella, Sil quickly freed the lightsaber, which was disguised as an ornament, from her long, messy hair. The girl wanted to complain about the knots that formed in the process of retrieving her weapon, but she knew she had better things to do. The princess turned to the blonde in the flight suit. "Thank you for trying to wake us both up. What is your name?"

"Princess, I am Crest." The blonde replied and then turned to Jysella. When the oldest girl of the group revealed her identity, Crest's jaw dropped and Sil had to use all of her training in making appearances to stop herself from squealing in delight.

"I knew it! I knew you're a Jedi when you touched me. How did I end up counting nerfs?" Sil asked. Jysella carefully explained the Jedi apprentice the error in the healing technique she used.

"So that's not how a healing trance works?" Sil inquired.

"It's not the most efficient way and you can't let yourself stretch or sleep." Jysella clarified.

"I see. Wait 'til my aunt hears you're alive. You should know how angry she was when you were killed." The words just gushed from Sil's mouth.

"Uhh… Thanks, but I'd really appreciate it if you keep those reporters and fans off of me if we get out of here alive. I didn't know I had such a big fan in the Royal Family." The ignorant and flattered Jysella blushed and backed up slightly.

"Princess, I don't think she knows the royal secret." Crest whispered into Sil's ears in Hapan.

"Jedi Horn, there's something you must know. Before I tell you, however, you must promise me not to be angry at anyone in my family." Sil lowered her gaze and sighed. The secret that had protected her for as long as she lived as out, and now that the war was finally ending, it was time for the royal skeleton to be dragged out into the open.

Jysella nodded and gasped as Sil's words danced in her ears. The man who was like an uncle to her back when she was an apprentice was the 'mystery consort' who collaborated with the Hapan Queen Mother to formulate defenses? Her former Master, one of the most trusted Jedi, had been keeping a big secret for all those years? iAnd that princess…/i Jysella gritted her teeth and reddened in anger. They had met each other on a few formal occasions before, and yet she said nothing until now?

"Solos are wanted people. Hapan lives depended on our silence. You know what happened to your world, Jedi Horn. We couldn't have the same thing happen to us, especially since we have sixty-three worlds to worry about." Sil was slightly out of breath from all the talking, but she feigned composure out of habit.

"Be rational, Jedi. You promised not to be angry." The blonde Crest's glare was coldly fixed on Jysella, making her words sound like an edict from heaven.

The words slammed Jysella like a cold, hard slab of stone. She knew all too well the ravages that Corellia had suffered when the invaders learned that the dictat's mother and Han Solo's father were twins. Her family was lucky to have been off-world when the half the planet plus that anti-Jedi dictat were lost. She finally grinned and spoke. "Well, that's fair enough. The most strategic exit is that wall."

Sil thumbed the activation button on her lightsaber stud and sliced through all the girls' bonds before driving the blade into the wall that Jysella pointed at. The wall began to melt and the ground began to shake as the blade of blindingly white light was thrust deeper and deeper into the coral. As half of the saber penetrated the wall, Sil struggled to collapse.

"My leg can't take much more. Can't get through." Sil struggled between pants as she fought to keep the activation button depressed. Without hesitation, Jysella laid her hands over the top of Sil's and the effort doubled.

"Ugh. This is one hell of a thick wall." Jysella groaned as the lightsaber only cut a few centimeters deeper. She should have told Sil to just dig up rocks or maybe undermine the buildings beneath the damutek. Jysella drew some energy from the Force and renewed her effort. Every visible part of the saber was deeply embedded into the wall and with a leftward push from the Jedi, the blade began to cut left. When the girls drew a quarter of a circle on the wall, Sil's not-completely-healed left leg struggled to give in and Jysella, who was struggling to keep both women on their feet, was on the verge of fainting.

"That's the worst bad feeling he's ever told me about." Crest muttered as she threw her weight into the equation. The three women pushed the lightsaber down and formed an oozing semicircle on the living wall. The trio struggled to bring the weapon up in the opposite direction, for they weighed no more than 150 kilos collectively.

As Jysella felt all three collapsing, she began to consider the forbidden. From Ben's information, there should at least be a huge fleet up in the sky, and whenever there was a fleet, there was a Jedi mind meld. Since the planet was too Vong-formed to draw energy from, they could only borrow from other Jedi. Jysella finally made her decision when she saw the strain on Sil and Crest.

Jysella reached up as high as she could and touched the Jedi mind meld that Jacen glued together. She didn't care if her appearance and health greatly surprised many Jedi; she merely wanted out of the prison. Jysella then touched the enervated Sil and dragged her into the meld without regard for the age restrictions placed.

The coral floor hungrily drank the droplets of sweat that the three girls gave off as two of the three pushed on with a new bout of strength. After an indefinite amount of time, they finally drew a full circle on the wall. Much to the girls' surprise, however, the circular door refused to come in or out.

"Oh no." Jysella broke off from the meld and assessed her immediate surroundings with the Force.

"Huh? What is it?" Sil leaned against the 'door' and turned toward Jysella.

"Cousin, that wall's thicker than your lightsaber is long. It's about one and a half saber lengths." Jysella blurted the bad news.

"How do you know? I thought you Jedi couldn't sense scar-head stuff." Crest seemed curious.

"Are you sure, big cousin?" Sil considered the logic behind what Jysella had called her and then followed suit.

"That's what I felt when I traced your lightsaber to its tip. The air on the other side is half of a saber away. Feel it for yourself if you want." Jysella snorted. Normally, her attitude was jollier, but she did not have the energy.

"Exactly half a saber length, you say?" The blonde Hapan asked and Jysella nodded. Crest kicked her weight against the round 'door' and grinned. "Then there's a way out."


	24. Part 24&25: Caught redhanded

Since these two posts go hand in hand, I'll put them up in one chapter.

Part 24: Caught Red-Handed

Sheng Lah closed his eyes as his escorts told him he was in the shaper's lab. Once again, eyelids dropped, but no darkness came. Instead, there were many colors and many feelings. In the middle of everything stood a young version of the old man from his previous vision and a fortress of light built itself around the man. The man, apparently a trained Force user, was anguished and desperate to leave, but the walls of light around him were solid and unyielding toward his struggles.

Suddenly, millions of people appeared around the fortress and the structure built more of itself to encompass everyone. Sheng Lah 'squinted' to see who they were, but to no avail. Something flashed and the Jedi Knight found himself in one room within the fortress rather than everywhere at once. For some strange reason, Sheng Lah was in a five-year-old's body and on the top floor.

A trapdoor on the ceiling opened and a lambent in the room pulled in a short, teenage boy with tousled, brown hair. Sheng Lah recognized the boy as Anakin Solo upon meeting those lively, blue eyes.

The trapdoor opened again and an avian, whom the bluish gray Jedi recognized as Vergere, sailed in on her wings. The short, birdlike Jedi seemed not to notice the other occupants of the room as she took a round thing out of her feathers and threw it into the air. Tendrils grew from the seed-like thing and reached out the trapdoor. One of those arms came back with a young version of Sheng Lah's former Master attached to it and once Jacen was inside the fortress, the seed just jumped into the young Solo's body.

Sheng Lah mind began to work out a solution to the Force's puzzles when a voice jerked him back to his body.

"He is delirious. Where is the curing arm?" Screamed an unfamiliar voice.

"Do I look weak to you?" The Jedi nearly roared, scaring the wits out of whichever shaper was tending to him. The curing arm was the Yuuzhan Vong equivalent of a medical cabinet, and Sheng Lah was not about to be fed any pills or nightmarish fluids. 

"Ah, good, you are awake." Sheng Lah blinked before pushing himself up. He hurt all over and could swear that there was at least one thorn in his 'bed'. Either that was the worst healing session he had ever seen or he had become too accustomed to sedatives, Jedi healers, and bacta. It was a good thing the vision took the Jedi just before the operation.

"Sheng Lah, I take it you had not seen much fighting when you were with the former Supreme Commander in exile." The apparent head shaper of Domain Lah commented.

"I fought, but never against a mob." The Jedi replied. That shaper seemed to be as nosy as the above average priest! He tensed as his vision cleared and gave him a clear view of the speaker. The shaper was confirmed to be a woman and to make things less comfortable for the warrior, her face looked familiar. 

"My Adept said you had broken ribs. Only a crowd of Shamed Ones or an accident can do that."

Sheng Lah sighed with relief and his flushed face faded to a lighter shade of blue. An Adept meant that this particular, unnerving woman was not all over him. Now, all he had to hope for was that the Adept was not a girl and not his age, as most Adepts would be.

"Something on your mind?" The shaper asked. Before the warrior could strangle her for being so unnerving, her totally impassive expression stopped him. 

Sheng Lah realized that he was being irrational and his disguise was already slipping after only one day. Those two were shapers and he was a warrior, which meant that the divine law of the castes forever divided them. This was the Supreme Overlord's territory, not Zonama Sekot, or a Shamed One's camp, where mates were chosen without regard for caste and sometimes even species. 

"One particular man in the crowd." The young Yuuzhan Vong finally thought of an honest answer that did not allude to his true identity. Glancing more at a particular eye-like creature on a shelf than the middle-aged shaper, he continued. "He tried to poison me with something like that eye implant over there."

"Intendants don't normally try to kill our warriors with poison and victims of plaerin bol poison don't live to tell the story. Are you sure that thing's it?" The shaper looked incredulous.

"Yes, I am." Sheng Lah relaxed as he told the shaper about his run-in with the Shamed Ones, and both his adrenaline level and heart rate dropped to normal.

"Looks like my day just got a whole lot more interesting." The shaper muttered. She then raised her voice and turned her eyes back toward her patient. "Only an intendant with spy ranked executor or higher can have a plaerin bol. Cut me a sample of your robeskin where the poison hit and tell me what the dishonorable one looks like. If I can confirm your statement, then the prefects have a serious crime to solve."

"He's bald, pale, and really pathetic, even for a Shamed One. I don't know why he does this, but he wears an ooglith masquer that make him look like his face is rotting off his bones." Sheng Lah described the man as he tore a hole in his robeskin and handed the dead piece to the shaper.

The strange, eight-fingered shaper then passed the skin and gave some orders to the domain's resident initiates. 

"Master Kwaad?" The female shaper answered the child's summon and exited into an uneven corridor. As the shaper brushed aside a stray tentacle, she carefully avoided the spot on her nose that would drive away her disguise.

"We ran the tests and here are the results. Adept Yal Yim said they're right and we should call you." One round-faced child spoke for the group. The shaper swore a thousand curses as she read the reports. Her Adept and Initiates were all competent shapers and the instruments were notoriously accurate, which meant that Yu'Shaa was none other than that snake-tongued Prefect Anor.

"I will choose a course of action at the reflection pool. This is serious." The shaper promptly left for the location she named, with her robes swirling about her as she strode down the worldship's corridors.

The shaper had put her anger into her steps and soon found herself at the desired location. The water and scenery before her was calm and serene, totally contrasting the shaper's inner turmoil. All those secrets she was forced to keep for the last few decades and the multiple lives she had led were all turning on her with coufees aimed at her exposed, vulnerable back.

Most Master Shapers would contact Saeth Kwaad and the Supreme Overlord about news like that, but she, because of who she was behind the common face that her masquer portrayed, could not. The former was too unstable and once he recognized her voice, he would break down in public and beg her for advice. Besides, he was younger, less experienced, and in the office only because she was too big of a coward to face her problems. Even the very thought of the younger shaper and all the wrong she had done him tormented her soul

Normally, the Supreme Overlord could be approached about such treachery, but from the information of Jysella's other spies, he seemed to heretical and eccentric to be trusted. Even if he was the ordinary Overlord, that particular shaper could not approach him and expect to live, for Shimrra had seen her enough to be able to recognize her voice. The shaper channeled her storm of emotions into a random rock and kicked it as far as she could.

Tears streamed down the woman's face and she covered it with her hands to hide her weakness. Why did she have to be a secret spy for the Shamed Ones? Why did she have to secretly steal the cultures that infected the planet's dovin basals? _Secrets, secrets… May the gods devour them for all eternity!_ The shaper stomped her foot on the floor, not caring what she might squash.

It was not that the woman was unused to keeping information to herself; she had done it when she worked with Nen Yim in Shimrra's secret damutek However, she had limits and what she had bottled up had been building pressure and threatening to explode.

_Why am I even thinking about telling Shimrra?_ The shaper suddenly began to wonder. She was the Trickster's student's informant and occasionally Jysella Horn's eight-fingered hand, not Shimrra's shaper like the rest of the lot. Had she been pretending for so long that she had deceived herself?

_Damn it to all the enemies of the gods and the _Jeedai! The shaper thought as she uncovered half of her warm, soaked face and punched a wall with her eight-fingered hand. She gave the Yuuzhan Vong equivalent of a grin as she heard the desired cracking of knuckles. It wasn't the secrets that corroded her insides like sulfuric acid; those secrets were mere catalysts and her un-Yuuzhan Vong-like fear of death was the real culprit. She had been learning too much self-preservation from those _Jeedai_.

_But that meant I serve both the_ Jeedai _and the gods, doesn't it?_ The shaper wondered as she observed her own thoughts. If that was the case, then she was forced to choose between her upbringing and the facts that were stuck before her nose. After all, one could not be a member of two domains at the same time. The shaper began to feel nauseated as her many worlds began to swirl into one. The woman needed to regurgitate the contents of her stomach and then report to Taan, for rumor had it that the Jedi Knight was captured.

Part 25

"Goodbye, old hag. Looks like we got worthier ones to pay attention to." Sla Tsun taunted Nuren Lah as she turned her worldship towards an alliance ship at the edge of Coruscanti atmosphere.

"Dishonorable trash born of the worst insults to thousand-armed Yun Yammka and of the _Jeedai_ Force, you run from a fight with an equal to pick on one much weaker than yourself." The old, former Supreme Commander growled. She then turned to her officers. "After the worldship of Domain Tsun."

"Milady, you're breaking away! We will escort you!" Offered the captain of another ship in her fleet.

"No. Stay where you are. I will fight honorably, one on one." Just what did that high-born whoever-it-was think? She was not a beautiful, young queen charging into battle with banners waving in the air.

"Yes, ma'am." The other ship obeyed and distances between Nuren Lah's ship and the nearest Alliance ship became astronomical.

"We're entering the atmosphere." Reported one of the officers.

"I don't care. Protect Master Solo and teach that ooglith masquer a lesson about being a real Yuuzhan Vong." The aging Yuuzhan Vong growled as her ship continued to pelt the worldship with fire.

Sheng Lah soon grew impatient with the neighborhood Master Shaper and wandered out of the lab.

"Crèche-brother, we must arm ourselves for battle." An unarmed warrior around the Jedi Knight's age greeted him. Things were better than Sheng Lah had expected, for his enemies just gave information to a rather inconspicuous Jedi spy in their ranks.

"Then let us. We shouldn't keep the enemy waiting." The Jedi Knight bared his fangs in his best imitation of a bloodthirsty grin. Acting was not in the Jedi job description, and yet lives depended on a Knight's ability to fool observers because a certain Jedi was amongst those who are equipped and trained to play a Yuuzhan Vong warrior. Luckily for the Alliance, Nuren Lah allowed her son to converse with her in only Yuuzhan Vong.

"Crèche-brother, you must be Sheng Lah." When Sheng Lah replied with a mere nod, the other man continued. "Those renegades really don't care much for hair, do they? Well, when we're armed and armored, you're to see the hair-shaper and then the Supreme Commander."

"But I deserve no such honor." The Jedi was shocked. The hair part, he had expected, for his mother and her ex-warrior friends had often commented on the way it dangled at his eyebrows, but a Supreme Commander wanting his presence? That cannot be good.

"We're here." The warrior said as soon as the pair exited the worldship. Judging from the sunlight that shone on the glittering creatures, the Jedi knew he was detained in the shaper's lab for at least eight hours. As Sheng Lah fitted vonduun crab armor over his torso, he heard a creature's distant, musical howl. The short, stout warrior continued. "Nothing better than a _trumpit _to wake us up and prepare us for battle."

However, Sheng Lah instinctively knew that something was out of the ordinary about the supposedly common wake-up call. He closed his earthen brown eyes momentarily and stretched out with his senses. The touch of a hundred Jedi told the Yuuzhan Vong that he had reached into the Force rather than his Vongsense. In the distance, he 'saw' his former Master and a flood of relief.

_Nom Anor is the Prophet… Place of Bones…_

"Get your boots on. We haven't much time. Kodachi Cha wants us up and she wants us up now." The shorter warrior shouted. Sheng Lah pulled out of his trance and realized that throughout the whole experience, he wore nothing more than a pair of robeskin socks on his feet. He quickly stuffed his feet into a pair of vonduun snail boots and forced the creatures to adjust to his feet as he stormed inside.

A rumble in the yorik coral floor spoke of lift-off and a wild idea suddenly sprung into Sheng Lah's head. The Jedi Knight resisted the idea of impulsive action without forethought, but something within him kept on destroying his resistance. He was determined not to have the same weakness as his lightsaber's first owner.

"The Supreme Commander's on the top level. I look forward to seeing your prowess in battle, crèche-brother." The shorter warrior bade his goodbye before running off.

Sheng Lah assessed his surroundings with both the Force and then his Vongsense. That was not hasty decision at all and he had everything to gain from what he was about to do, for his people had damaged Coruscant so much that a few more were inconsequential. However, a worldship, especially one as powerful as Domain Lah, could easily shift the balance of a battle such as the one in the skies above Coruscant. He reached into his Vongsense and located the ship's brain, dovin basals, and yammosks. All five of the creatures dozed off, leaving the ship flightless, weapon-less, and defenseless. Unfortunately for Sheng Lah, the action took a toll and he was drained to the point where he could not use his once-formidable Vongsense again in at least a few hours.

The Jedi Knight struggled to stay afoot as the massive worldship crashed into the underlying buildings and flora. The 'doors' of the Yuuzhan Vong equivalent of a turbolift hissed open and the tall, bluish-gray Jedi was surprised to find a heavily-scarred, obviously high-ranking man before him.

"Your timing is perfect, my young fighter. I would say more to the famous missing person, but all I can do for now is ask that you run to Kodachi Cha's command tower and report our failure. That shaper was right, this ship is too old to live on." The apparent Supreme Commander in charge of Domain Lah spoke gravelly. The old man's voice was sad with a hint of anger and outrage.

"It will be done, your highness." The younger Yuuzhan Vong gave the respectful bow and swept his gaze around the 'bridge' before taking the 'turbolift' down. As the Jedi Knight strode out of one of the portals to the outside world, he reached into the Force.

Once again, the vision took hold of him and as Sheng Lah physically walked through a portal, his Force presence broke through the wall of light that the old man from his visions could not.

Sheng Lah looked up into the sky despite the health hazard in staring at a strong sun and saw three ships. The first was a battered Alliance ship and a touch in the Force told the Yuuzhan Vong that his former Master was stuck in the ship. Sheng Lah reached out and the Jedi Master cordially welcomed his former student into the mind meld.

_The battle plan is almost back on track. I need some troops and a few Jedi to meet me here. I'm expected at Kodachi Cha's command tower._ Sheng Lah was not certain if his words carried through the distance, but he felt an affirmative from the Jedi Master.

The second ship in the sky was a worldship of unknown origin and much to the Jedi Knight's horror, the last was the bulky Sekotian command ship that chose Nuren Lah. The worldship chased after the battered Alliance ship and practically ignored the Sekotian ship at its tail.

The clear, blue sky rippled as the Sekotian flagship's dovin basals protected the Alliance ship from the worldship's fire until the hulk of durasteel that headed the line disappeared into one of the planet's new bodies of water. Then the large, tentacled worldship turned and began to pelt the oddly shaped Sekotian ship with plasma. The first few volleys either met dovin basal-generated singularities or splashed against shields, but they eventually began to eat away at the target's hull. Carrion eaters joined the fray at the worst possible moment and devoured the metal like beetles on a leaf.

The greenish yellow worldship began to stir from amidst its pile of debris and its plasma-spouting mouths suddenly came alive. The Jedi Knight longed to keep his domain's worldship grounded and asleep, but his energy was too depleted. He watched in horror as the Sekotian ship, separated from any reinforcements and half scrapped, came crashing into the planet. A dovin basal-aided blast shot from one of the large ports and devoured the Sekotian ship's bridge. 

"NOOOOO!" The enraged Sheng Lah screamed as his mother's ship disappeared in a phantasmogangic shower of flames and projectiles. Nuren Lah had taught him to be true to his blood, and now his blood, his domain, had just destroyed her. She had tried to teach him Yuuzhan Vong warrior honor, and yet it was some bastard's lack of it that sent her, along with at least a hundred good soldiers, to their pointless deaths. His dark blood threatened to reach its boiling point and with little conscious thought, the Jedi Knight reached for his lightsaber. Much to his frustration, the blade refused to ignite.

Before the large, strong hand of Sheng Lah could unravel his amphistaff, a bodiless head rained down at his feet.

"Jeri." The Yuuzhan Vong Jedi recognized his fallen friend and collected the head from the floor of rubble. The face, though charred, told Sheng Lah enough to calm him down. He always would be a Yuuzhan Vong amongst foreigners and as one, he could not afford to massacre.

"Sir?" Someone interrupted the dark-skinned warrior before he could follow his thoughts to conclusion. A dozen soldiers, half as many Jedi, and ten speeders came faster then he could ever have expected.

"Kodachi Cha's command tower is north-east of here." Sheng Lah directed as he plopped down in an empty seat behind one of the troopers.

Next: Something that I've been waiting to put up since last November


	25. Part 26: Alligator Lake

Part 26: Alligator Lake 

Ben was forced to completely shut off his sense of hearing as his velocity increased. Using the Force, he reached out for his distant cousin and nudged his descent in her direction and at the same time, avoided the warriors crazy enough to follow him. He then remembered how to control his speed and grinned as the shocked Yuuzhan Vong fell past him. The Jedi relaxed greatly and laid out on his back as he floated down the city-turned jungle like a piece of paper.

After an indefinite amount of time, Ben spotted water beneath his back. The body of water was no larger than a minor lake, but it was enough water to slake his thirst and bathe his sweat-soaked body. He took his time to remove all of his gear save his underclothes and boots and hung everything on the nearest branch. 

The Jedi plunged headfirst into the lukewarm water and did not hesitate to gulp it down. Without warning, something that resembled a wild amphistaff slithered onto the liquid's surface and hissed. A second later, something snapped at Ben's boots and he was forced to swim for his life.

The young Skywalker heard jaws snapping and turned around to see a black, demonic creature with a long snout. He swam as fast as he could toward the nearest shore, but he was not speedy enough and the wild thing took one of his boots. Ben scrambled ashore and summoned his belongings with through the Force. A touch told him that he was not far from his cousin, Jysella, and Crest and the red-haired boy broke into a mad dash, for he had recovered from his run from the angered scouts.

"Human boy, what is the meaning of this?" Ben suddenly found himself sprawled in mud and tangled with another being. He had been moving too fast and not paying attention to his eyes.

"You didn't call me infidel, you said human." The sixteen-year-old noted when he realized that he bumped into a Yuuzhan Vong warrior.

"I no longer belong to the old way after getting buried under the dead twice." The gray-skinned man replied as both scrambled to their feet.

"Under dead people? Tell me about it." Ben knew he was to free his friends, but he could not resist stopping to ask a most peculiar Yuuzhan Vong some questions.

"Since you are a human and I see no ooglith masquer, I will speak." The warrior revealed his identity as Hul Rapuung and told the Jedi of how his crèche-mate spared his life in the battle to buy Anakin and Tahiri time to escape Yavin four. "For I don't know how long, I was stuck on that moon. When I finally found my domain, I was dishonored but not Shamed. To mitigate my failure and regain my standing as a warrior, I was sent to slay the _Jeedai_ at the World Brain. He was better than any warrior I had ever seen and buried me under the biggest pile of flesh I had ever seen. I was disarmed and defeated and I was to choose between Blessed Release and exile. The easy way was Blessed Release, but that would be an insult to the gods and my crèche-brother, since I've done nothing worthy of recognition. I paid my respect to Yun Harla and fooled my caste to think I was walking with the gods, and I thought long and hard about what my crèche-mate saw in those _Jeedai_. I walked from camp to camp telling my story until Yu'Shaa came. I don't know how I was passed over for death again, but somehow, I lived to see him leave. About a year ago, a _Jeedai_ named Jysella Horn came and organized us more than that fraud of a prophet ever did. She is a student of Yun Harla. She made me head of her warriors and called me a walking saint. I am to free her from this prison damutek and give her _Jeedai_ weapon to her."

Ben took a few minutes to unscramble the accented Basic, but when he did, he was incredulous. He almost gawked. "If all of that is true, then…"

"Now's not the time. If you're an armed and good fighter, you can help me set Yun Harla's student free." The former warrior cut Ben off.

"We're here for the same people, so I'm coming with you whether you like it or not." Ben replied.

"Tell me more. It will be a hundred or so … meters, I believe, before we run into any guards."

"I'm actually here for a cousin, but Jysella's with her."

"How would you know? Have you seen the inside of this damutek?" The sturdy Yuuzhan Vong suddenly picked Ben up by the collar of his flight suit, which he put back on after the swim. The fierce, yellow eyes suddenly and hungrily demanded information.

"I haven't been in there; I felt 'em in the Force. Jysella, Sil, and Crest are all there."

"_Jeedai!_ You…" A young man who accompanied the old, famous warrior started to speak, but suddenly stopped and paled. Ben opened his mouth, but unified gesture from Hul Rapuung's group told him to keep quiet as they apparently listened for something. Ben then noticed someone playing some Yuuzhan Vong equivalent of a brass instrument in the distance.

One scrawny, aging woman in the company cursed in Yuuzhan Vong when the music ended.

"I guess that's no drill."

"Our code is designed to sound like one, but it is not. Our head shaper says Nom Anor is Yu'Shaa and he is leading our people somewhere! We must free the Trickster's student now!" Hul Rapuung gasped and put Ben back on the ground.

"That name sounds like bad news." Ben muttered before reaching into the Force and feeling for Jacen's mind meld. As soon as he touched it, he shouted to the Jedi the exact words he heard from the former warrior. He was not sure if his voice carried, but many Jedi were shocked and then angry. One, apparently Sheng Lah, responded with the strangest, most bone-racking sensation Ben had ever felt.

_Sheng, is that you?_

_Place of Bones… better go._ The Yuuzhan Vong Jedi's presence flickered before completely disappearing.

"He defines bad news. He's prefect of my old domain and he's the worst any domain could have." The thin, old woman looked sullen. 

"Do you know exactly where the Trickster's chosen is, _Jeedai_?" The old but still massively built Hul Rapuung inquired.

"I can show you when we get in." Ben replied. Pointing at a group of guards, Ben added. "Are they guarding the entrance?"

"Yes, but they pose no problem for a my hand-picked fighters and a _Jeedai_." The ex-warrior grinned a bloodthirsty grin before unraveling and waving an amphistaff. He then picked up his pace and charged. Ben, in order to avoid being trampled, activated his lightsabers and followed.

When four of Shimrra's warriors took interest in Ben, the Jedi grabbed what was left of an old statue with the Force and pinned the four Yuuzhan Vong against a wall with the piece of rock. His first impulse was to shoot them with his fire arrows while distance was still his advantage, but an old memory of a bedtime story warned him not to. 

"Little boys… think they can kill _Jeedai_ and claim glory." Muttered Rapuung as he traced his amphistaff along the face of a still-groggy prison guard. A large, bulky woman emerged from the doors and charged at Ben, but someone's amphistaff wrapped itself around her ankles and pulled her feet out from beneath her body. Without waiting for her to recover, the serpentine weapon's owner used the weapon to throw the guard out of sight.

"We can go in now." The frail-looking woman said as she wrapped her amphistaff around her forearm. Though she appeared small and weak, Ben realized that she was the one who threw the hundred-kilo warrior off into who-knows-where.

"Dorik vong pratte!" Just as the female finished speaking, a dozen more guards stormed toward the entrance. The speaker then switched to Basic. "You _Jeedai_ have no respect for our buildings, have you? You come when this is already hurt!"

Next: second part of this scene


	26. Part 27: Prison Fights and Battle Plans

Part 27: Prison Fights and Battle Plans

"Too soon!" Ben shouted as he summoned his sabers from his sides, activated the neon blue blades with a snap-hiss, and parried someone's amphistaff while attempting to dash down a slick corridor. Soon, like every Yuuzhan Vong member of Hul Rapuung's 'team', Ben found himself fending against two warriors. _I really wish Sheng and Jacen are here. I've been out of practice for a year! How do you expect me to fight off two of them?_

Ben's thoughts were interrupted when he tripped over a dead body and hit his head against a wall. One of his opponents took the opportunity and lashed out at the Jedi with a hissing amphistaff. In order to avoid a lethal bite to the head, Ben rolled, tripped the warrior, and hit an oddly colored spot on the 'wall' with his hand.

The ceiling began to release thud bugs and the warrior Ben tripped made the mistake of flailing his arms. He took one of the bugs in his armpit and dropped dead. Ben's other opponent, an average-sized, young man, dove for the apparent switch, but forgot to look after his amphistaff, which he held in his left hand. The creature was in whip mode and Ben vivisected it with one of his half-length lightsabers. Then, with an upward thrust, Ben drove his weapon through the Yuuzhan Vong's palm and into the forearm.

The young guard barely shut off the weapons before someone delivered death from above and stopped his heart with a rock-hard amphistaff.

"Where is Jysella Horn?" Hul Rapuung, the one who finished off Ben's share of the fight, demanded. Ben glanced around and saw that every prison guard in sight plus half of his apparent friends were sprawled on the corral floor, either dead or unconscious.

"Forget about them. They all welcome the Blessed Release." One of the remaining fighters picked himself up from the mess of flesh and spoke. Ben struggled to scramble to his feet on the slippery prison floor, but then saw an amphistaff sticking out and he helped himself up.

"They're down and then left." Ben touched the Force and then directed. The Jedi threw off his remaining boot and his socks as soon as he stumbled past all the bodies. With the Force as his compass, Ben found the cell that held his cousin, Crest, and Jysella.

_Cut us out of here, will you?_ Jysella touched Ben's mind through the Force and asked. Without waiting for an answer, she showed him the circle that Sil left on their side of the wall. Ben concentrated on the air in the circle that Sil cut and positioned his sabers at two opposing points. With the added strength of the Force, the Jedi traced and deepened the circumference.

_That'll do. Now move aside._ Jysella ordered when she sensed the completion.

Ben sighed and complied. "Get back." Obviously, Jysella had learned more than the ways of the Force from his cousin. The circular portal hit Ben's side of the damutek with a thud. Much to Ben's surprise, the three girls met him while reclining on the slab of coral. They then lifted their feet out of a rather awkward looking hole in the floor.

"Ben! You're really alive!" Sil squealed before attempting to climb out of the cell and onto the piece of coral.

"You just had to come, didn't you, Flames? We were getting rather comfy in there. I mean, one of your Jedi friends blasted a nice hole and all we needed was a bucket of warm water." Grinned Crest.

"It's a Skywalker thing." Ben shrugged.

"Allow me to elaborate. Your cousin, who's about sixteen years older than you, had quite an adventure with his older brother, who's about the same number of years older than him." Jysella grinned and bounced her playful glance between Ben and Hul Rapuung, who barely began to emerge from the dark background. 

"And you knew this without telling me, _Jeedai_ Skywalker?" The former warrior roared.

"You interrupted me when I was about to. It's nothing unexpected; strange things happen around me."

"Very well, I did. It is a shame we did not meet under better circumstances." Much to everyone's surprise, the old warrior offered his right hand, which Ben took. 

"So you won't kill us?" Stammered a wide-eyed Sil. 

"If I was your enemy, your friend would be long dead." 

"My utmost apologies, ally."

"Oh no! We'd better…" Ben suddenly remembered the information he received from Sheng Lah and the trumpet creature. He was interrupted when one of Rapuung's fighters bolted toward the cell with an urgent message in Yuuzhan Vong.

"Get on the raft! It's acid-proof. This place is flooding with stomach acid! I knew we disturbed this thing when we cut through the wall with lightsabers!" Jysella interpreted and added a comment of her own as she jumped up and landed neatly on the slab of coral. Ben, Crest, Sil, and Hul Rapuung quickly followed suit. The three surviving members threw themselves at the new, Jedi-made barge, but the two in the rear were not fast enough and collapsed under a tidal wave of sizzling acid. The third person, who spear-headed the run, leapt onto the only empty slot on the raft as the corrosive liquid set the raft afloat.

Seemingly out of nowhere, Hul Rapuung produced a lightsaber stud and handed it to Jysella, who nodded her thanks and then activated the weapon.

"If I know anything about these prisons, that was a maximum security cell." Jysella muttered as she cut out piece after piece from adjacent walls of the complex and handed them to the two Yuuzhan Vong.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Asked the puzzled, young warrior, the only survivor of the group sent to rescue the Jedi leader.

"Improvise." Replied Rapuung as he drove each end of his amphistaff into a piece of the wall and began to row through the acid.

"We'd better go to the Place of Bones. Nom Anor is Yu'Shaa." Ben blurted as soon as the group began to see even the slightest hint of outside lighting. As the group reached the outside, they met the four warriors whom Ben pinned at the exit, but a flood of acid reduced them to sizzling, skinless, flesh. Sil and Crest, both quick to take advantage of the situation, each plucked an amphistaff from a dying warrior. Together, the two girls hauled in a vonduun crab chest plate.

"Place of Bones?" The puzzled people on the raft stared at Ben in unison.

"Sheng told me through the Force. I have a feeling he means they're there." Ben explained.

"You are in close association with Sheng Lah? _The_ Sheng Lah of our people?" Hul Rapuung asked.

"Yeah." 

"Never mind that." Jysella said as soon as the acid washed the barge out of the prison damutek. "Sil, Ben, go with my warriors and take care of Nom Anor. I'll meet you up at the Place of Bones and bring enough _huun_ cloaks to cover us all." 

"Not so fast. Someone needs to fly into that thing in the Senate Hall and I, as an apprentice, should join my Master at the base of that palace. If every Jedi besides us three is where they're supposed to be, Ben should herd a mob into your Supreme Overlord's palace." Sil objected.

"What do you know, Princess?" Crest asked.

"A lot. Sheng's supposed to scout this area and then blow Lady Cha's command tower, and we can't help him much. Father's group's taking the citadel, which is guarded. To make his job easier, you should take a crowd in and cut down the guards. I heard they're tougher than most troops."

"Alright. Scratch the old one. Crest, can you fight hand-to-hand?" Jysella turned toward the soft-skinned, blonde Hapan. When Crest shook her head, the sole Jedi Knight of the group continued. "Then you and Sil come with me and get those supplies. Princess, take all but two cloaks and get on the first of these giant bat things you see. Crest, are you a good pilot?"

"That I am, Jedi."

"Good. You and I will fly our speeders into that World Brain thing and do whatever the  
Alliance wants us to do. The rest of you will get that Nom Anor, take our friends back before any one of them gets killed, and get them to the citadel."

"Speeders?" Crest asked.

"Yup. I got some of the fastest speeders on the planet."

"Big cousin Jysella, I don't normally say this, but I think you're nuts." Sil mumbled.

"Between two _Jeedai_ goddesses…" The young warrior at Hul Rapuung's side gasped.

"Just wait 'til you hear the rest of this, little cousin. The _huun_ cloak will make you invisible, so you can sneak into the citadel and get us a map. When you think the time's right, give Ben a holler in the Force and bring in our people."


	27. Part 28: Speeder Ride of Doom

Part 28: Speeder Rides of Doom

"Where are you taking us? We've been walking all day." Complained Crest.

"I'm taking you to my little hangar and then I'll fly you to my warehouse." Jysella grinned. "Well, here we… WHOA!"

The ground beneath the girls collapsed and three of Jysella's fingers suddenly softened and stretched to wrap themselves around the trunk of a tree. Sil, who was clinging to a rotting vine, screamed. Crest, who was hanging a few meters beneath the Jedi princess, released her grip.

"Relax, you two. I'm not a freak." When Sil responded with nervous shivers, Jysella explained. "My hand was practically cremated and ya couldn't tell between skin and melted glove, so the shapers gave me some nice implants. I forgot to hide it when we triggered this trap. Sil, would you bring Crest up and grab my ankles?"

"You are scary." Sil's eyes widened. There was honesty in Jysella's voice, but the red rays of the setting sun behind Jysella illuminated all but the Jedi's features and details, giving her the outline of a monster from children's stories and undermining credibility. "Can't you bring her up?"

"I'm sorry, but I can't grab her and I can't find any mutant bats within a kilometer of this place. Now hurry up so I can take us to my speeders."

"Sorry for what?" Sil was angered, but she complied and brought the rapidly descending Crest to the level of the other Jedi's ankles. 

"There is no way in the all the stars of the galaxy I'm touching you." Crest shrieked.

"It's alright. I'm still human, just took a few implants to cover up scars. Now grab me so we can get moving!" The oldest woman in the group snapped, aggravating the blonde pilot. However, Crest carefully wrapped her fingers around the Jedi's ankle and Jysella raised the younger woman to the ground level as the finger implants shrank and brought the two up.

"AAAAHHHHH!" Sil screamed as her vine finally snapped, sending her plummeting into the depths of the planet's rotting underworld. Overgrown toenails suddenly broke through Jysella's shoes and dug into the earth beneath her feet, anchoring her, as one of the distended fingers released its grip on the tree and tied itself around Sil's wrist.

"Help me pull her up!" Jysella ordered and Crest, too frightened to disobey, quickly did as she was told.

"I'm definitely indebted to the both of you now." Sil sighed as she shook her right hand to get the blood flowing. "Jysella, we have much to talk about."

"I'm sure. I can tell you my stories once we get into the speeder." The shortest girl in the group grinned as she took the girls up three levels in a dimly lit, rotting building.

"Which is yours?" Sil asked when a light came on and revealed two vehicles in the hangar space. One held a strict resemblance to the simple but fast sand speeders of Tatooine while the other was a glaring, red-orange, cab-like vehicle with a sharp beak designed to penetrate the highest of speeds.

"I cobbled 'em both together. Since there's three of us, we'll take this one." Jysella fondly petted the larger, fiery speeder as the skin on the back of her right hand peeled and spat out the vehicle's access card.

"Correction: you are the freakiest girl I have ever seen." Sil shrank back, bumping into and knocking over the black, one-person speeder. 

"Relax, Sil. It's just a skin replacement. Think of it as a fancy glove." Jysella smiled as she turned on the speeder. Slightly disgusted, Sil hopped into the back seat and Crest climbed into the other front seat.

"A skin replacement?" The princess was now perplexed.

"Uh-huh. I met a few others here and freaked them out, so I asked the shapers to make me look as normal as possible since it's hard to disguise some things in the Force."

"So that's how you managed to look like any random person I can find in Fountain Palace?" Sil asked.

"Yup." 

"Now I see why the Ni'Korish hate Jedi." Crest muttered.

"Actually, it has little to do with that. Those people don't like the way we probe minds and beat them in politics." Sil explained.

"Whoa, you are still eating that?" _I wonder, just how dainty is this little princess? I've seen the Queen Mother eat whatever's served in half the time a normal person takes._ Jysella asked when she noticed that Sil was still nibbling at the lunch that the girls picked on their trek. 

"Hey, I've heard what you're thinking behind that." Sil then thought at the other Jedi. _She's more Dathomiri than she is Hapan and she'll work off twice the amount the average person eats on any given day._

"Perhaps you should let me pilot." Crest offered. She has had enough of the scary implants and bossy attitude. If that Jedi was impatient on foot, who could predict how dangerous her flying could be?

"What, scared of Jedi and implants?" Jysella almost sneered as she backed the speeder out of the hangar.

"Yes, in fact, I am." The younger girl shot back. Her Hapan half wished for the Jedi to be subtler, but her Coruscanti blood liked the directness.

"Coward." 

"You're too reckless and impatient."

"Oh for the galaxy's sake it's a speeder! What do you know about patience?"

"It's a virtue that you don't seem to have a lot of."

"Whatever, kid." Jysella said as the speeder gained altitude.

"Kid? Hapans are older than they look." 

"After they turn thirty, from what I've heard. Isn't that true, Sil?"

"Well, yes." The stunned, fourteen-year-old bystander barely managed to speak.

"From what I've seen of you, it's safe to say you're going to pilot too fast!" Crest shouted.

"What do you know about piloting?"

"I've been flying since I was fifteen and the way Ben moves our ships around scares me out of my wits!" 

"So?"

"Didn't you tell us your X-Wing got blown up?"

"That's true, but I also put together this speeder and know this planet better than most humans alive or dead." Jysella seemed to forget Crest's concerns as her speeder picked up speed.

"Shut up, both of you, or I'll revoke what I said about my debt and keep two more Battle Dragons for the Hapan fleet. Crest, by my authority as princess and queen's first child, I order you to take advantage of Jysella's knowledge of the planet." By the end of her tirade, Sil was both red and exhausted. She had taken more than enough criticism from Jysella and had enough of Crest's loud mouth. In short, the princess could not wait for her solo part in Jysella's plan.

"You're sticking for that crazy Jedi? I should have run to my aunt's house and joined the Ni'Korish when Mother was killed." Crest, who was as flushed as Sil, scoffed. 

"I'm not 'sticking for that crazy Jedi', I'm getting myself someone who is not going to get lost in this dump." 

"That's it?" Asked Crest.

"That and she's twenty-one, which is older than either of us."

"You're choosing her over me just because she's…"

"This is your last warning. Say one more thing against Jysella and what I said about my debt to you will be revoked. You and I both know that Hapan princesses don't like debts." Sil would have stood up and climbed into the front row had it not been for the thundering winds that pinned her to her seat.

Crest wanted to ask Sil how she managed to know that Jysella was the oldest of the trio, but she was tired of screaming at Jedi. They were too frightening, secretive, bossy, intrusive… She wanted to add 'and rash', but then remembered Ben's somewhat rational behavior and level head. The sixteen-year-old raised her fist to punch the nearest surface, but winds pushed her hand back. Why couldn't she be stuck in a car with Ben or the Yuuzhan Vong guys instead?

Jysella flicked a switch and the speeder's speed suddenly quadrupled to 3000 kilometers per hour.

_Hit the brakes! We're falling apart!_ A pallid Sil screamed at Jysella mentally. Perhaps, despite Jysella's knowledge of the planet and the vehicle, she should have spoken on Crest's behalf. There could not be anything worse than sitting through the hairpin turns that Jysella was making at impossible speeds and hanging on to a speeder seat for dear life, could there?

_Then keep us together!_ The annoyed Jedi Knight shot back as she maneuvered her speeder to catch the air current that would greatly increase her fuel efficiency. She used the combined power of all of her Jedi discipline to hold back her breaking temper. That dainty princess first complained about wearing a rotting dress and posing in an old window to disguise herself from the Yuuzhan Vong patrols, then she screamed and took more time than the Jedi had to eat.

Jysella was not only frustrated with her current cache of passengers, but missed the old friends who used to work with her. If only Doneeta was alive and at her side. When they were partners in most types of work, including machinery, one piloted and the other used the Force to keep people from falling apart at the superhuman speeds without being told to do so.

With a push of a lever, the speeder flattened itself. Jysella sighed. Every little feature of the vehicle reminded her of how skilled of a mechanic that blue-skinned, twi'lek Jedi was. She would trade anything to have her old friend Doneeta in the place of either that loudmouth named Crest or the dainty princess.

"Ya know, Jysella, if the New Republic still lived here, you'd be fined a thousand credits for your flying." Sil used the Force to amplify her voice. The older Jedi let out a growl that the roaring winds drowned out. The only thing she enjoyed about that particular ride was the speed and the lashing wind, and that little brat was implying a complaint about the former.

Jysella wanted to reply, but she could not allow herself to be distracted while flying at inhuman speeds. She had come close to being fined, but after she found herself stranded on Tatooine and placed third in a podrace in return for repairs and a trip off the planet, no authority had the courage to hold her up. 

"We're here. Welcome to the shapers' secret warehouse." Jysella said as she brought down both her speed and her speeder. When the other two girls failed to respond, she spun around to see a piece of Yuuzhan Vong armor glue a rather blue Crest to her seat and a swooning Sil enshrouded in a cocoon of waist-length, light brown hair.

Next up: Ben and the Shamed Ones


	28. Part 29

Note: If you're lurking, can you please delurk and tell me who you are? I know I have lurkers because this fic's got two hundred times the hits than it does reviews. I accept anonymous reviews.

Part 29

"Well that was short." Ben commented as he spotted an immense crowd of rioting heretics by a place that seemed to be built from bones. 

"Turn on your light swords and call attention." Suggested the young Yuuzhan Vong at Ben's side.

"Guide me to this palace so I don't look like a total fool, will you?" Ben asked. When the massive Hul Rapuung nodded, Ben's two half sabers came to life with a snap-hiss. When everyone turned and murmured _Jeedai_, Ben addressed the crowd. "I hate to say this, but when you thought you were following a prophet, Nom Anor was leading you to the butcher's block. If you'd like, I can take you to Shimrra's citadel. My cousin Jacen's going to be there to take care of your Supreme Overlord once and for all."

Volunteers piled up at Ben's feet and cheers rose up in both Yuuzhan Vong and Basic, but the Jedi silenced them. "Do you have Nom Anor?"

"_Jeedai_, we tried to tie him, but he is nowhere to be found." One apparently prominent woman emerged from the crowd and reported with a sullen face.

"Stang! I don't want to keep Sil waiting, so let's go. When we get there, find a good place to hide and come out when I wave my lightsaber." Ben flourished with one of his cobalt blades before killing the weapons and returning them to his sides. From the reactions he got from the people around him, Ben knew that Nom Anor was a notorious villain, but it did not seem wise to deviate from his current course to chase after one person. He would just have to report the prefect's presence on the planet to any high-up person who would listen and let the search parties take care of the fugitive.

Ben nodded to the two warriors at his side, and Hul Rapuung immediately began to lead the way. There seemed to be no warriors within sight, but Ben had the feeling that the smooth adherence to Jysella's plan would end soon. He looked to the Force for predictions, but found none. His last vision, one of Crest, Sil, and Jysella imprisoned in a Yuuzhan Vong prison, had passed and its replacement was unusually slow in coming.

-scene change-

"There, I don't think there's any more knots in your hair, Sil." Jysella grinned as she handed Sil a Yuuzhan Vong cloak.

"Whoa, what the?" Sil screamed as a giant, altered bat swooped down from nowhere and carried her off.

"Take care of that Supreme Overlord and don't get yourself killed! My friend will take you to his palace." The older girl almost winked before turning her attention to the frozen Crest.

Sil closed her eyes and sighed, despite the wind. She didn't like giant, Vongformed bats, but anything's better than another hour in Jysella's speeder. At last, she was alone, even if she was alone in some creature's claws.

-scene change-

"Dread Lord, what is your command?" Kodachi Cha grudgingly bowed when the Supreme Overlord's face appeared on a display. Of all possible times, that Shimrra had to contact her when her warriors were in the middle of their biggest battle and when she was trying out armor implants.

A face that defined ugly deformity appeared beside the Supreme Overlord and Kodachi Cha groaned.

"In strides the warrior proud and tall.  
Isn't she the most gruesome of us all?"

The warmistress did not know if she would have grinned or choked that Shamed One to death had she actually been in Shimrra's audience chamber. She liked being described as gruesome, but that voice was driving her insane.

"That is enough. I am most displeased, Kodachi Cha." Shimrra cut off his jester. Before the woman could stammer an apology, the Supreme Overlord continued. "Your captive _Jeedai_ have escaped from their cells and I have at least three of these vile creatures loose on my holy planet!"

"My most humble apologies, Dread Lord." 

"Because of this, I now have at least two hundred heretics roaming unchecked on my planet!" The large leader boomed.

"Then I will eliminate them, if that is your wish."

"No, leave them be. Only execute the _Jeedai_ and the one named Hul Rapuung. There shall be no survivors from the vile stories."

"If that is what you desire, Dread Lord."

"Report to me when you receive news from Domain Lah. I want a good explanation for why their worldship failed."

"Your wish is my command, milord." The woman closed her eyes to avoid the ominous, crimson glare of the maa'it implants. The display reverted to its natural form and Kodachi Cha returned to her pile of weapons and implants. Shimrra was acting rather strange, but he was Supreme Overlord and his orders must be obeyed. The warmistress popped a slug implant onto her left eyebrow and reached for the villip of one of her commanders. 

-scene change-

_So what do I do?_ Sheng Lah wondered as he sorted through his maelstrom of emotions. He was on a speeder, so unleashing his anger was not a safe option and he was nowhere near suicidal. That left idleness and feeling sorry for himself on the list of options and Sheng Lah liked neither. The Yuuzhan Vong glanced at his lightsaber stud. His predecessor never had dilemmas like the one he faced, according to the stories.

Sheng Lah knew that the chances of meeting a ghost were slim, but he reached into the Force anyway. The Yuuzhan Vong Jedi grinned as a vision took hold of his eyes again. Reading things through the Force was a productive way to pass his time.

In the vision, there were two almost identical, Yuuzhan Vong girls who appeared to be a few years younger than Sheng Lah. The one on the cot was pale, sickly, and terribly thin, as if there was nothing between her skin and bones. The other one was large and sturdier than the average female warrior.

"Kadde, let us duel to the death." The pale, thin Yuuzhan Vong girl offered her healthy-looking counterpart as she struggled for her amphistaff.

"But you are my twin, Ralte. We are the only set of twins in this galaxy and I want it to stay that way. I cannot kill you and I have no wish to end my pain now." Protested Kadde.

"I am a warrior born of warriors and I would much rather die in combat than of this vile disease that the shapers can't cure. Besides, I'm too weak to kill you."

"In this case, I'll do you the favor." Kadde wrapped her fingers around her amphistaff. The two serpentine creatures clashed repeatedly until the weak and thin Ralte collapsed onto her sister's weapon from exhaustion.

"Thank you, sister, for letting me die with honor." Ralte managed weakly before the blood-soaked end of her sister's weapon emerged from her back.

"Kadde, you have defeated your own image in combat! No Yuuzhan Vong had done that before! Greatness will come upon this girl!" Heralded a bystander, apparently the head of Kadde and Ralte's domain.

Sheng Lah jerked awake as he felt a tap on his shoulder. That must have been the first of those so-called twin sacrifices! If that vision was true, then Yuuzhan Vong society had deviated too much from its foundation and needed some heavy reform. He knew he had to defeat Kodachi Cha and somehow ban the unhealthy sacrifices that appeared too often in religious rituals. So the Force was teaching him history through all of those visions! The dark blue Jedi growled. That honorable Ralte did not deserve for her name to mean defeat in modern Yuuzhan Vong.

"Can you tell us if those black dots are Vong? I mean Yuuzhan Vong?" The soldier who flew Sheng Lah's speeder asked. The Jedi Knight immediately opened his violet eyes and searched through his Vongsense. Kodachi Cha's command tower was in sight, but there were warriors marching out to greet the group of Jedi and soldiers.


	29. Part 30

Part 30

Long, light brown hair flashed at the citadel's entrance and a giant drum sounded. When Ben blinked, there was no trace of his cousin anywhere. That must have been his cousin's signal to enter and it would not be surprising if Sil could afford to appear only momentarily. He shouted. "Charge!"

The excitement of the crowd of heretics wiped all thought from his mind and the Jedi led the maddened mob into the citadel as fast as he could. Countless guards met the stampeding crowd and as Ben prepared to square off with one warrior when a hand plucked him from the massive fight.

"Sil, what is the meaning of this?" Ben demanded when he recognized his cousin as the one who pulled him from battle.

"I saw some suspicious looking statues in the reception hall. If they're who I think they are, then it would be a crime to not show you." 

"You're not making any sense."

"I know I don't sound like I am right now, but please, follow me and help me." Sil begged as she led Ben to the strange statues.

"What do those statues look like?" Ben hoped his question would test Sil's claims. Before his cousin could answer, however, a Yuuzhan Vong creature leaped off of the nearest wall and bit into Ben's right wrist, threatening to devour his hand. In his pain, his muscles tensed and he inadvertently activated the saber that he forgot was still in his palm. The creature's eyes popped and the hound-like animal collapsed into a boneless heap onto the uneven floor.

Ben grinned as he flexed as many fingers as he could without dropping his weapon. If that bite was meant to sever his hand, then he was the luckiest Skywalker yet.

"Are you okay?" Sil asked as she disgustedly cleared the body from the Jedi's path.

"It's nothing more than a dog bite. What do those statues look like?" Ben returned to the original subject.

"I didn't get a really good look. It's just a gut feeling because I know they don't look like Vong."

"What? You mean you're dragging me all the way here just because you had some gut feeling?" The outraged Ben almost shouted at his cousin.

"No. I mean yes. I mean no. Never mind the yes and no part. I couldn't get a better look because the only my hiding place wasn't full of guards."

"That doesn't add up. I don't see anyone." Ben snorted as he crossed his arms over his chest. _A typical, careful Hapan was running on intuition rather than logic?_

"They all went out to greet you. Now, if that ventilation duct corresponds with this path, these statues are just past this portal." Sil pressed some invisible thing against a pad of soft tissue next to the portal and portal opened immediately. The room was not at all lit, so Ben stepped in first and used his lightsaber as a light source. He gasped when the blue light landed on a frozen face that he recognized immediately from the Holos. The Jedi in the statue must have gone through the Yuuzhan Vong version of carbon freezing.

Ben recovered from his surprise and continued to illuminate the impossibly spacious chamber with his lightsaber, discovering a total of six people in rock form. He reached out to the six through the Force and all six touched Ben back, confirming that they were all alive. Sil's suspicion must have come from the Force.

"_Jeedai._ Shimrra will be pleased to add you to his collection." A voice interrupted Ben's mixture of emotions. The Jedi held his blade in the direction of the voice and the light revealed a warrior atop a shaped rancor.

"I'm sorry, sir, but we're not collectable. We don't belong in any set." Ben replied.

"All _Jeedai_ heads are collectable, intruders." The Yuuzhan Vong ignored Ben's humor and launched himself at the older Jedi, leaving Sil to square.

"Heads? I thought you wanted us all in one piece." Ben carried on the verbal joust as the saber in his right hand met the warrior's amphistaff.

"There are two of you; that would have to make at least two pieces, thus, it's not possible to take you all in one piece." The warrior made a chop at Ben's neck, which the Jedi ducked. In the fraction of the second he was under the warrior's arm, Ben activated his second saber with a snap-hiss and severed the Yuuzhan Vong's arm.

Sil wanted to laugh at Ben's comments, but the rancor's swipes kept her busy panting as she struggled to put on her huun cloak and at the same time toggle hiding places. She activated her silvery white saber in an attempt at self-defense, but the rancor's claws proved impenetrable and the princess was forced to run. One large, meter-thick arm descended in front of the girl to swipe her, and Sil, in response, tried to jump. As she began to lift from the floor, a bloody mass tripped her and sent her landing on her belly.

The princess looked down to see a one-armed warrior rising from the floor and at the same time drinking the torrents of pain from losing an arm. The warrior made a grab for his lost arm and amphistaff, but Ben quickly took possession of the serpentine weapon and hit the warrior with the flat of the blade, knocking the Yuuzhan Vong unconscious. 

The rogue Jedi wanted to finish the warrior off with a deathblow, but his Jedi conscience stopped him. Ben blew up enough Yuuzhan Vong in space; he did not need to add to the kill list if he was to return to the Jedi, for Jedi aimed to stop, not to destroy. He then made a mad lunge for his cousin, but he was too late and the rancor already threw Sil over a wall into another room with its right arm. When it noticed Ben, the mountainous animal knocked the remaining Jedi in the direction of the frozen people.

Ben expected to fly into the ceiling, but he narrowly avoided two statues and slammed into the wall, for he was heavier than his cousin. He felt six bumps against his back initially, but they disappeared and the statues began to move. Ben suddenly became disoriented as the Force flooded through his head and carried with it a vague cry for help and a direction for him to go.

Ben took a bone-crushing hit to the shoulder and turned to see a lightsaber stud bouncing off of his body. On his way to the wall, the flailing Ben must have cut loose a dangling lightsaber.

As he landed, the Jedi deactivated one of his weapons and held the other to the ceiling. Several glittering objects hanging from the ceiling responded strongly to his light source and Ben recognized them as lightsaber crystals, which meant that Shimrra used those weapons as decorations. When the rancor charged at him, Ben pulled every weapon off of the ceiling with the Force and activated them simultaneously before disabling the massive beast.

Ben wanted to find some way of revealing that the original mission to overtake the citadel ended in some sort of freeze rather than failure, but he had the feeling that his place was nowhere near any authority for the next few hours, if not days. Instead, he used the Force to project his voice and hoped that the other Jedi could hear him. "Masters, welcome to forty-four years after the Battle of Yavin. We're trying to take back Coruscant again and we'd really appreciate your help. I'm…" Ben trailed off as he felt a surge through the Force.

Ben realized that his foresight, his most prominent and unpredictable Force ability, had returned when he saw at least ten Jedi marching through the citadel and waving lightsabers. The blurry scene flashed and he saw Sheng Lah spear-heading an attack on a Vong structure. The picture then disappeared and he felt two fading presences in the Force and a sense of unimaginable destruction. A lightsaber rolled along the floor as a strange-looking speeder melted in a bath of acid and other chemicals. When he inquired himself about the vision, he saw himself in the scene and the bleak foreboding left.

A sense of urgency drove the Jedi to the room's exit, but when one of the recovering Jedi Masters asked him to wait, Ben paused. _I can't wait. Anytime but now._

"I'm really sorry I can't stay and give you details. I gotta go and we'll see each other when this is all over." The red-haired rogue Jedi briefly finished his sentence before retracing his way to the entrance and fleeing the citadel at an inhuman pace.

Next: I suppose it's gotta be either Sheng or Shimrra


	30. Part 31: Saber Spirits

Disclaimer: The nickname Yuuzhie belongs to Vongchild (at least that's who I first heard it from).

Part 31: Saber Spirits

"I say we all stand down and stay back. I should go in alone." Sheng Lah suggested as his group of Jedi and soldiers hid in the shrubbery at the base of Kodachi Cha's command tower.

"And let you betray us all?" Objected a Twi'lek soldier.

"That's a good Yuuzhie." Another Jedi came to Sheng Lah's defense. The Yuuzhan Vong's hopes rose momentarily, only to be shot down. "However, I'm not sitting on my hands."

"What do you propose we do?" Sheng Lah said out loud. _Yuuzhie. That's a good nickname in both languages; none of us will ever get insulted at that._

"Sheng, you go in alone and pretend to be a messenger from your domain while we hide and follow. I have a feeling you're going to be dead meat if you go in alone." The other Jedi grinned.

"Good point. I have no choice but to listen to you since you're the one with the foresight here. I'll leave my lightsaber with…" Sheng Lah glanced at his lightsaber and found himself unable to speak. It was as if the weapon had not only a life of its own, but a mind as well. Perhaps that was a consequence of listening to the Force and picking up unusual lightsaber studs when he was supposed to be in bed.

"_Don't leave this weapon!"_ The distant voice of a human male begged. The volume was low, but the emotional tones were strong enough to move Sheng Lah's shaking hand and drain all the blood from the Yuuzhan Vong's normally blue face.

"_We can't help you if you don't take your lightsaber. Your won't be able to use your pet snake once you're in creep-woman's lair."_ A second, male voice emanated from the lightsaber.

"Hey, Sheng, your lightsaber crystal's glowing." One of the Jedi in his group pointed out. Sheng almost sighed in relief when he, from the words, figured out that only he heard the voices in the saber stud.

"Never mind what I just said." Sheng Lah snatched his weapon and hid it under his armor as he strode off toward Kodachi Cha's command tower. The minute the other Jedi and the soldiers thought Sheng Lah was out of hearing distance, they began to gossip.

"Did you see that look in his eyes?" One whispered excitedly.

"Yeah. I'll bet he's an experiment and the council's using that lightsaber to control him. See the way he wanted to get rid of that thing?"

"You're getting it way over your head." Interjected the Jedi who came to defend Sheng Lah. "That's not even possible. Any Jedi would have enough respect not to ever mess around with _that_ lightsaber. The weapon's several years older than he is, remember?"

"That's gotta be a copy. There'd have been no way he could have gotten away with even touching the real thing." A second Jedi shook his head. The Yuuzhan Vong Jedi wanted to shake his head and quicken his pace, but he did not want the others to know that he was eavesdropping on the insults and accusations thrown behind his back. He knew, since he was a child, that he could never truly be at home amongst the Yuuzhan Vong or the Jedi, but the malicious words still stung like a hive full of wild thud bugs.

"Makes sense to copy such a famous thing." One of the soldiers commented.

"No, it doesn't! Besides, that weapon's better suited for a Yuuzhie than all the other lightsabers in the galaxy put together!" Sheng Lah's friend nearly screamed.

"Still, it doesn't sound right for a little kid to touch that weapon and get to keep it without getting into trouble. I heard that Hapan princess, when she was eight, got into fifty times the trouble when she 'borrowed' the Queen Mother's weapon."

"There's a whole lot of differences you didn't count. First and foremost, we all know the Queen Mother's lightsaber ain't possessed, whereas Master Veila reported ghosts when she touched Sheng's weapon. Maybe those ghosts intervened on his behalf. Second, our Yuuzhie _friend _is one of the few people who could turn the blade on. Third, Sheng Lah didn't disturb anyone or wave the thing at little kids. I'm pretty sure that Hapan kid was in trouble mostly for playing with the lightsaber in front of little kids." With that lecture, the Jedi who defended Sheng Lah silenced the distrustful group.

As he neared the entrance, the Yuuzhan Vong Jedi deliberately disappeared into the decorative plants in the vicinity. He then removed his saber stud and hissed at it. "Sorry if my temper's short, but everyone's been eating it up as if it's an all-you-can-eat buffet lately. Now, tell me what you're hiding, every last bit of it! You're lucky I'm not some crazed priest or else you would have been sacrificed for being possessed."

"That's why we let you keep this weapon." One of the voices whispered again.

"What in the galaxies in going on?" Sheng Lah demanded.

"Calm down, Sheng! We've been protecting you and this is what we get in return? I see that it is my duty to tell you everything I know." The first voice spoke again and Sheng could envision a childhood superhero flying before his eyes.

"And I thought you were pompous when you were alive." Commented the second voice in the lightsaber.

"Ah yes, good Jedi! It is my duty as a heroic character to…" The first speaker's playful tone almost escalated to a goofy laugh.

"Ganner." The second person warned.

"I was just kidding."

"Ganner Rhysode? How did you guys end up in a lightsaber?"

"When you die in battle with this lightsaber in your hands, the lambent takes a part of you in." The second speaker answered.

"So you're Anakin Solo and I'm talking to a living mausoleum." The blue Jedi almost grinned and at the same time, gave a ghost of a snicker. If he was right---no, he was definitely right, for Ganner must have had help when he took down a thousand warriors---then the Yuuzhan Vong was finally going to receive some straight answers from an expert. He then prepared a list of questions, hoping that death did not make the famed Solo rhetorical.

"I guess."

"Why didn't I get in trouble when I touched this lightsaber?"

"We don't like to sit still, so we decided to let the first kid to turn on this saber keep it and kick some Vong butt with your help. Anakin talked to a lot of Masters to make sure you'd keep it." Answered Ganner's voice.

"It's either Yuuzhan Vong or any nickname but that. You're lucky you're already dead and I'm mild tempered for a warrior." Corrected the Yuuzhan Vong.

"Sorry. I knew you're not like the rest of those YV."

"Thanks. I take that as praise."

"Now can you do us a favor and get rid of that warmaster? I'm really getting sick of her." Requested Ganner.

'You died long before most of us even knew who Kodachi Cha was. How did you know about her?"

"We got some free newscasts. Comes with being dead." Sheng Lah could imagine the dead Solo shrugging.

"Answer my questions and I'll do it." Sheng Lah replied. Then, without waiting for a response, he continued. "How and why did I get the Force? How come my species, with a few exceptions, exist in a different spectrum within the larger Force?"

"I wish I could answer those questions, but I don't know." The Solo replied.

"Thanks for the help." Sheng Lah hesitated before adding. "My friends. The Force does not allot one like me a large number of friends." Then, in a hushed voice that he only used when he spoke to himself, the Jedi added. "That must have been mass chaos in there if the records about their personalities are true."

Sheng Lah scrambled out of the bushes and used his best 'arrogant warrior' pose as he strode into Kodachi Cha's command tower.

"Leave here." One of the guards warned as he blocked Sheng Lah's path with an amphistaff.

"I am a messenger from Domain Lah. Dare you to order the second-highest domain? I don't see the mark of Domain Cha on you." Sheng Lah stuck to his act, despite his discomfort. He was a warrior of Domain Lah, but he did not belong in his domain because of their actions and because of his upbringing away from the worldships and training facilities. He was a Jedi, but they always questioned his loyalty to the Force because of his species. He was a Shamed One in many ways, but that caste singled him out for worship. The uniqueness of being a Yuuzhan Vong Jedi had made him a foreigner to all. When the guard refused to lift his amphistaff and admit Sheng Lah into the building, the Jedi continued. "Dare you question this scar and this mark? The warmaster will know and deal with you accordingly."

"Alright, you can get in." The guard admitted the Jedi into the tower. Sheng Lah threw an evanescent glance over his shoulders at the Jedi and soldiers trying to weave their way through the crowd of warriors marching down the base of the tower before disappearing into the dimly lit structure to face Kodachi Cha.


	31. Part 32: Ben vs Nom Anor

Part 32: Ben vs. Nom Anor

As Ben Skywalker dashed out of the citadel and pushed his way through the massive battle that raged at the front entrance, a Jedi Master, through the Force, called out to Ben in an increasingly distant voice and attempted to grab the boy with a fading hand.

Ben raised layer upon layer of shielding on his mind as the long-untouched bonds began to tug him back to the room where he left the first team of Jedi to strike at the fortress. However, even when he was protected to the point where he could not feel the Force, he could still feel himself wanting to return, not only for Sil but also for the Jedi Masters he left behind. The rogue Jedi shuddered to think about the identities of the ones he left to whatever their fate would be.

_It's not rational. Sil's a Hapan princess and she'll call for help from giant fleets because like any other woman from that blasted world, she doesn't like to dirty her hands much. They're Jedi Masters and any one of them will do better in there than me. Still, I'm leaving m… Nah, that old recording I found in Artoo said attachment's forbidden and I'm sure we'll all get a huge reunion soon._ Ben forced his urges out of his mind as he hiked through Vong life and decaying buildings in search of a vehicle.

Suddenly, Ben's ankle met an elastic vine as he made some halfhearted attempts to swat a few insects from his face. He raised his bleeding wrist before him as a shield and braced himself for pain from the bite wounds when the vine threw him backwards. The Jedi's body wove several 360-degree spins in midair as if it was made of noodles before he landed headfirst on a soft canopy barely able to support his weight.

A few branches and vines snapped, and Ben slammed into some sort of metal, indenting it in several places. As he brushed twigs, leaves, and other living matter off his face and out of his unruly, red hair, he could not believe his sight. Speeders of every size, shape and model were strewn like rags across the muddy floor.

Not caring much about models and speed capabilities, Ben merely examined the amount of fuel remaining in the nearest speeder and ran a few basic tests when he learned that the fuel mark was as high as it could possibly go. Ben needed to get somewhere and he needed to get there fast, for he had a feeling that he made a lethal mistake sometime after he touched Coruscant. Ben then grabbed the raw, metal edge of the door, ignoring the pain as a razor-sharp edge cut a gash across his hand, and swung his body out of the speeder for one final task.

Ben wiped the blood on his hands off on the floor before he removed one of his lightsabers and activated it. He then dropped to one knee and carved a note onto the floor, saying "I, Ben Skywalker, will return this speeder in prime condition. If I don't, you have my name." 

The Jedi hopped back into the vehicle and pressed the button he thought was the speed control. Instead of the expected result, Ben was answered with a bathe of warm colors splashing all over the many surfaces of the hangar. He had an idea as to what he did, but he was rushed and thinking about trivial things was a waste of time for the moment.

-scene change-

"What is your news, servant?" Shimrra growled when one of his underlings reported to him.

"Dread Lord, this citadel has become infested with Skywalker filth. The Hapan princess, who is Skywalker in all but name, runs loose with her crèche-mate, Ben Skywalker, who destroyed our trophies." 

"What is your point?" The large Yuuzhan Vong snapped, sending a chill down the spine of the servant with the crimson glare of his twin maa'it implants. "What is your proof?"

"Dread Lord, there are many Skywalkers loose in this holy building! My spider captured these images." Without waiting for the Supreme Overlord's response, the informant produced a villip from his robe, which first displayed a picture of Ben and Sil entering the audience chamber and then shifted to one of an old man in Jedi clothes. 

Since there was little light in the room, Shimrra could only guess whether the white in the hair was graying hair, blonde hair, or icicles. The human's height and stature were unimpressive and his posture was pitiful, but the eyes managed to even haunt the Supreme Overlord.

"How does he live? I sent this man to the gods long ago!" Shimrra paled and roared, pounding his fist on an armrest as he did so.

"The freezing gel we used was a mutant. We believe Master Shaper Ch'Gan…"

"Do not name this fool! Understand?" Shimrra demanded.

"Y-yes, milord. I mean a late head of the holy caste bred the original freezing gel with our mutant, healing blorash jelly. I believe its bases originate with Master Shaper Nen Yim." The informant stammered as he prostrated himself against the nearest wall. "I estimate there are eight _Jeedai_ defiling your home, three of whom are of the leading domain."

"Capture them all and prepare them for sacrifice!" Commanded the Supreme Overlord. 

"Milord, I am afraid I am unable to locate any of these infidels." The informant dropped to one knee and bent as low as he could in apology.

-scene change-

Ben recognized the source of his feeling as he recognized the large, domed structure the Force was guiding him toward. The feeling, no, urge, came from somewhere inside the thing, but he had not the slightest clue as to where because of the Yuuzhan Vong's nonexistence in the Force. As the Jedi took his speeder through the first layer of defenses, a branch he thought he ducked slit his dirty, tattered flight suit and his underclothes, leaving a shallow gash on the Jedi's arm and sending him slightly off course.

As Ben Skywalker began to feel totally lost, the hum of a lightsaber gave him all the directions he needed. The foliage was dense and the light became dimmer and dimmer as he decreased the altitude to bring the vehicle closer to the source of the noise.

A wild, six-legged predator, upon smelling Ben's blood, leapt for the Jedi but landed in the back seat. Using the Force to secure himself to the vehicle, Ben flipped the speeder upside down as he struggled to avoid the numerous, poisonous plants in the area and still fly toward his destination. Without looking back, Ben ducked into his seat as he pulled the speeder between two overgrown thorns to make certain that his 'passenger' got out.

"For a speeder, this thing sure is maneu… WHOA!" Ben struggled not to cuss as the speeder slammed into an invisible wall.

"It's about time you came and cleaned up this mess you made! What the kriff took you so long?" Yelled the familiar voice of Jysella Horn. "I've been shouting for you for hours! I wonder how we managed to communicate so clearly back then."

'Lights." Ben called for the lights on the speeder as he brought it under control and eventually reduced the flight to a mere hover. "What did I do?"

"You let that creep Nom Anor get away and now I have to clean him up!" Suddenly, Ben saw what he hit. A series of thick, organic fibers, all of which originated from Jysella's two hands, sealed off an area with a ten-meter diameter. Within the sealed space, the gangly, blonde Crest was sending inexpert attacks at a bald Yuuzhan Vong with Jysella's lightsaber.

_More like trying not to hit Jysella._ Ben thought but said nothing. A string of poisonous liquid shot out of the Yuuzhan Vong's right eye and threatened to kill one of the vines that discharged from Jysella's hands, but the elongated finger twitched just enough to avoid being hit, putting Ben in the path of the attack. Not only was Jysella disheveled and tattered, but she also looked far less human than Ben could imagine.

Ben ducked and shot several arrows from his firebow. Unfortunately for the Jedi, the Yuuzhan Vong had managed to avoid each shot and eventually drained all of the ammo that Ben hid up his sleeve. _Kriff._ The boy silently cursed. Ben turned to Jysella and said out loud. "What happened to you?"

"I'll tell you later. Sorry about that; I don't normally show my implants. What are you doing driving a police speeder?" Jysella demanded as she flipped to deliver a pair of kicks to Nom Anor's chest and chin, using her abnormal fingers as anchors. "Well, never mind that! Get some stuncuffs from that speeder and capture this damned son of a Hutt!" 

"That's a police speeder? Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'd recognize one of those anywhere. Now squeeze yourself into these parameters and take down that lying scarhead!"

Nom Anor slid under the attacks, which landed harmlessly in air, and twisted his ankles slightly in order to trip Crest, who was already struggling to keep her balance and at the same time wear the crab armor she lifted onto the raft when the group escaped from the prison.

"Help!" Screamed the blonde as a stream of poison from the Yuuzhan Vong splashed against her borrowed crab armor, killing it. The weight, combined with the momentum of Crest's fall, sent her crashing into a branch of a toxic plant and the girl slumped into unconsciousness.

"Sorry, I got my hands full of these Yuuzhan Vong things!" Jysella managed to reply between Nom Anor's taunting, somewhat cowardly attacks.

As its wielder fell, Jysella's lightsaber blade slightly scorched some hard parts of Nom Anor's body before making several arcs in midair and finally deactivating upon hitting the living floor. Ben glanced at the rolling weapon and suddenly remembered his most recent vision.

"So, _Jeedai_, your friend is dead because you refuse to surrender. Is that what you would want our heretics and your order to hear?' Nom Anor meant to taunt Jysella, but his words truly hit Ben.

"I don't remember ever owning an order and I don't care what they'll think of me."

Ben could sense that Jysella wanted to correct Nom Anor a third time and say that Crest was alive, but they both knew that in that particular circumstance, the truth had better not be told. The sixteen-year-old Jedi's first impulse was to rush into the battle and chop the Yuuzhan Vong to pieces. Jysella's words stopped him in mid-step.

"Hey, Ben, get my lightsaber." Ben followed the path of the other Jedi's gaze and found a stud rolling along the floor. As it threatened to roll out of sight and into unimaginably dark gutters fraught with many unknown dangers, Ben called the woman's weapon to his hand and offered it to its owner.

Jysella's gaze, backed by communications carried through the Force, told Ben to stow the weapon away safely, so the younger Jedi retreated to the speeder and dropped the lightsaber. Immediately, the short but impressive Jysella thanked Ben and once again told him to retrieve some stuncuffs. Ben gladly obeyed and then squeezed himself between Jysella's fingers to join the battle to fix his mistake of leaving Nom Anor behind. _Force, remind me to look up this name if I ever get off the planet._

Activating both of his half-length, neon blue blades, Ben charged at the Yuuzhan Vong and swung for the legs, but Nom Anor's reflexes were fast despite his age and blocked both attacks with an amphistaff before twisting them. In response, Ben slid the saber in his left hand along the amphistaff in an attempt to jab at Nom Anor's wrist, but the Yuuzhan Vong twisted the serpentine weapon, nearly sending the lightsaber flying from Ben's hand.

Ben made a chop for Nom Anor's midsection with his other weapon, but the Yuuzhan Vong parried and turned the defense into an attack, forcing the Jedi back to the defensive side. Using all of his strength, Ben forced the Yuuzhan Vong weapon and his weapon to meet at his eyelevel in order to have a perfect angle for an attack directed at the shoulder.

When the Jedi finally made his attack, the clever Yuuzhan Vong juggled the elongated, serpentine weapon in a circular motion, blocking the attack and locking both of Ben's weapons in a difficult and uncomfortable position.

"Is this what you want, _Jeedai_? Your master will know." Nom Anor attempted to use his silver tongue to freeze Ben, but he failed.

"You have a lot to learn about us Jedi. You see, the entire order wants you captured!" Ben grinned as he twisted the weapon in his right hand out of the lock and resumed his attack. Two could duel with words, even if Ben was not certain if he saw Nom Anor's name on the wanted list the last time he checked.

The top half of the amphistaff transformed into whip mode and wound itself around Ben's right wrist, stopping the attack and threatening to constrict the already scarce blood flow to the hand. As the Jedi felt his hand begin to go numb by degrees, he leaned back and slid his other weapon up the amphistaff in an attempt to kill the living weapon. 

Suddenly, the anterior end of the amphistaff began to crawl up Ben's right arm and he realized that it meant to sink its venomous fangs into some major blood vessels near his armpit. 

"Goodbye, little Skywalker." Nom Anor grinned maliciously as his eye thing dilated and spat out another stream of dark liquid. Ben ducked and then squeezed the amphistaff with his right hand to stop its motion. Using the weapon in his left hand, he attacked the coiling, serpentine weapon and, as if hissing in pain, the amphistaff slithered down the Jedi's arm. Not waiting for the snake to go away completely, Ben brought up his left foot in the most powerful kick he could deliver to Nom Anor without the help of the Force.

Nom Anor staggered backwards, but he came charging forward again and straightened his amphistaff for attack. Ben instinctively blocked and sent the strike back where it came from, but then realized his mistake and gasped. "NO!"

"Too late!" Nom Anor grinned as he used the momentum to drive the posterior end of the amphistaff into Jysella's stomach area. The woman, already strained from keeping up the barriers, staggered backwards to move with the amphistaff in order to reduce the amount of damage done, but her finger implants severely restricted her non-aerial movements.

As if Jysella had slammed into an invisible wall, she stopped, her head bounced forward like a ball tied to a spring, and she dropped to her knees as she coughed up some blood. Since she had no free hands with which to clutch her wound, the scarlet blood gushed freely into the hungry robeskin. The Jedi Knight opened herself to the Force a bit more than she already had, and the stab wound began to heal at a surprising rate until she felt a burning sensation all over her body. She blinked and saw that she was glowing, which prompted her to suddenly withdraw from the Force and let the pain flood her senses. Judging from the pain, Jysella knew that she was lucky to be alive and that the stab went as far as her stomach.

"Ben, hurry! I can't keep up these walls much longer!" Jysella managed weakly between sputters of blood as she struggled to stay conscious and not to slump.

"Why you backhanded…" Ben growled as he opened himself to the Force and used his anger to prepare the most brutal assault he could.

"You will harm me over your friend's dead body." Nom Anor grinned a fanged grin as he grabbed Crest's unconscious form and used her as a shield. Ben stopped dead in his tracks and pushed his anger down. The Yuuzhan Vong continued. "What will you do, _Jeedai_?"

"Nothing." Ben lowered his gaze, as if in submission. His once spiky hair, now drenched in sweat, hung atop his head like a wet mop that was made of rags and his tattered, smelly flight suit hung loosely on his blood-soaked body, giving Nom Anor the impression of a defeated Jedi. Then, as he unexpectedly leaped into the air and somersaulted over a branch in a surprise assault, the boy added. "Much."

The young Jedi gave a fleeting grin as he kicked against the branch by the 'ceiling' for momentum. Then, as if in slow motion, he retracted into a fetal position to avoid the assortment of toxins that awaited him on the Yuuzhan Vong flora and uncurled his body to deliver two powerful kicks to Nom Anor, one to the base of the neck and the other to the waistline.

Nom Anor lost his balance and dropped his prisoner before falling to his knees. Ben, who already landed, made a lightning-fast swipe for the former Yu'Shaa's legs, but the Yuuzhan Vong rolled out of the way and the weapon merely sliced off half of Nom Anor's right foot.

"Damn! Sorry, but my hands are really killing me right now!" Jysella's entire body shook as her finger implants all recoiled, leaving every escape open.

"Please don't kill me! Aren't your people all about mercy? Show me some!" Nom Anor begged as he tried to scramble but failed due to his lack of familiarity with his lack of two, complete feet.

"I'm showing as much as I can." Ben struggled not to reveal that he wanted to keep the former executor alive and bring the Yuuzhan Vong to Alliance officials. He then removed two pairs of stuncuffs from his flight suit.

"My _Jeedai_, what if I told you the fate of your most precious world lies in my hand?" Nom Anor asked as Ben worked to bind and cuff him. The Jedi stopped dead in the progress and the former executor took his opportunity to run.

"I don't believe it." Jysella snickered, but her actions betrayed her true feelings. 

"Me neither." Ben agreed. When both Jedi looked down, they realized that Nom Anor had escaped.

"After him! I'm sorry I can't go; I'll only slow you down. Tell someone to get this World Brain to turn these evil scarheads out of here." Jysella instructed.

"But I can't leave you and Crest here!" Ben protested.

"Then leave this speeder with us; I'll find you and take it to you later. If you see something in the Force besides yourself, me, this speeder, and that blondie, it's my speeder, which I'll let you borrow."

"You really want me to leave you? You both look like you're dying."

"Heh. We'll be fine; if I know anything about police speeders, I know I can find at least a few bacta bandages in there." Jysella gave a weak grin. "Now go! Stopping Nom Anor means saving billions. Staying here means saving nobody. If you feel something in the Force that isn't me, blondie, or this speeder, it's my personal speeder."

"There he is! He didn't get very far and he's not going to 'til I'm dead!" Ben nodded and took off after Nom Anor, for he was not about to allow the same criminal to escape his grasp twice, especially now that he knew how dangerous that particular Yuuzhan Vong was.

"This is Flames. Crest and a Jedi Knight named Jysella Horn are in the Well of the World Brain and they both need medical attention as soon as possible. And I mean as soon as you possibly can because we wouldn't be here without either of these two." As he passed the speeder, Ben removed a comm. unit and called for help on all available channels, hoping that someone would hear him and bring a medic down.

"Force be with you!" Jysella moaned.

"And you two!" Ben replied, glancing at the limp Crest as to indicate what he meant by two. He added silently. _Just not one with you._

As Ben disappeared after the limping Nom Anor, Jysella gave in to her wounded body's desires. Her eyelids dropped and she once again saw the paradisiacal world called the Nether World and her ears picked up its sad, melodious music instead of silence. On the second visit, it seemed, the Nether World welcomed Jysella and guided her to the people in the sky.

Next: Looks like I should check in on Jacen, though I can't resist writing more of Ben and Nom Anor


	32. Part 33: Family Reunion

Part 33: Family Reunion 

Several Jedi, all Masters, stood before the remains of a large, bulky ship and examined their surroundings, both with their eyes and the Force.

"She's here." Jacen muttered as he reached into the Force and found his first child after following a convoluted, clogged path. He touched the Hapan, but the response was at a minimum, indicating that the girl was still alive but either asleep or not willing to talk. As he retracted his overstretched probe, the Jedi Master felt six presences he had not felt since around the time Sil was born. Perhaps the time extended even longer, since he and Zekk left for the Unknown Regions months before then. 

The other Jedi chosen to take the planet from the surface chatted as they prepared to complete their task, but Jacen remained oblivious to the chatter until one person asked. "The Hapan kid?" 

"And every other Jedi to visit this planet after it was taken." Jacen replied. He could sense the others question his seriousness and with a mere, unconscious thought, he silenced the suspicion. Such was one of the many side effects of initiating and holding too many battle melds.

"I feel… Emperor's black bones!" One Jedi swore as he reached into the Force and felt the same people Jacen had sensed. "They are all in that monster of a castle, aren't they?"

"Yes." Jacen replied as he led the way to the citadel and tried not to think about the changes that occurred in the beautiful and yet ugly landscape since his last visit. The planet was once and could never again be the cold, busy place he called home. In its place was an unnatural, thick carpet of flora that only Tahiri could describe as a divine piece of artwork. 

The hatred aroused freshly in Jacen's veins, as if he was once again following Vergere's silent tour, but the Jedi Master refused to allow emotion to dominate. There was no dark side, but there was also no need to end innocent lives. His goal was to pick up a child before she could cause or find herself in trouble and to defeat the Supreme Overlord, a mission, which accomplished, will most likely send the scarheads packing.

"Great _Jeedai_!" One Yuuzhan Vong waved her amphistaff in the air when the Jedi reached the citadel. "Have we prepared adequately for your arrival, divine ones?"

Jacen gasped at the horrific scene before him. Body piled upon bloody body and limbs were everywhere before they were all pushed to the sides to 'make way for the _Jeedai_ gods'. So far, after fifteen years, those Yuuzhan Vong still had yet to learn their lesson in fanaticism.

"I am Taan, priestess of Hun Harla, selected by her student and visited by Yun Neshel." The female, obviously a Shamed One, dropped her amphistaff and bowed before the group of Jedi.

"What's this about my student?" Asked Jaina as she appeared at the scene at Jacen's side. A sideways glance at a Chiss ship attacking from a rather low altitude told him all he needed to know about how his twin arrived on the surface.

"She appointed me to be one of the honored leaders in our holy war." The Yuuzhan Vong woman replied.

"You don't mean…" Jaina was interrupted before she could finish her sentence.

"Jaina? Is this you?" Asked an old man around the age of sixty as he emerged from the murky depths of the citadel. His skin was pale and slightly wrinkled, but the lightsaber at his side and the glimmer in the eyes said that he was far from a sickly, old man. The hair was either a dark blonde or a light shade of brown, but it was hard to tell when he was both wet and in the dark. The man was short and his Jedi clothes hung loosely on his medium-sized frame.

None of the Jedi were surprised that Jaina was the first to be recognized, for the only changes her appearance had gone through in the last two decades were simple haircuts and a few wrinkles.

Jaina opened her mouth to call the newcomer 'old man', but she stopped when she recognized him. Both twins would have rushed to hug the man if there had been no Yuuzhan Vong between them.

"Yun Yuuzhan, have you pre-ordained this divine reunion of domain and gods?" Asked the Yuuzhan Vong male, apparently an old warrior, at the old man's side.

"Yun Yuuzhan? That's a new one." Commented a woman's voice.

"Our apologies for the lack of respect. We are not worthy to behold such a reunion." Taan dropped to her palms and the remainder of the Yuuzhan Vong soon followed suit.

"Get up, Taan." Tahiri ordered simply.

"Please, great gods of war, shaping, creation, and trickery, do not be angry with us." Taan begged as she pushed herself to her feet. "Yun Harla's chosen student told us the only one truly deserving of your wrath is Shimrra."

"What is going on here? First, some kid tells us all we're fourteen years in the future and then a bunch of scarheads start worshipping us." Demanded the hidden woman.

"What does this person look like?" Jacen asked as he brushed aside his shaggy, brown curls, somewhat revealing his facial features. Perhaps Sil had encountered old family members?

"Jacen? You're here, too? And Tahiri!" The old man asked upon recognizing the younger Jedi Master and then matched the bare feet, the only recognizable features of Tahiri, with their owner. "An apprentice with two lightsabers like I've never seen before told us you're retaking Coruscant. He's a little taller than you, Jacen."

Jacen's spirits sank with the description, for there was no way Sil could match such a description.

"That would be your cousin, great twins. Hul Rapuung says he saw him leave." Answered Taan.

"Our cousin, as in Ben?" Asked Jaina.

"Yes." Replied the heavyset, aging Yuuzhan Vong at the old man's side. He then stepped forward and revealed his identity as the warrior Taan had named. "He entered with your daughter."

"And he was alone when you saw him?" Jacen asked, turning to the old man at the Yuuzhan Vong's side. The list of people to collect was growing longer and longer, and Jacen was glad that he was not helping Jaina gather the kids in Tahiri's clan, plus Jaina's children and Sil, from a multi-level, Hapan mall like he was forced to four years ago. It had taken two entire days to load all twenty-some kids into the _Rock Dragon_. 

"Yeah, he was the only one we saw." The mysterious woman stepped forward slightly, putting the lower half of her body in the dimmest of lights.

"But I felt someone else. I couldn't get a good feel of her, but she feels somewhat like you, Jacen." The old man said.

"That's Sil. Where is she?" Jacen demanded.

Before the old man could answer, a sissing in the background caught everyone's attention. In the recesses of the citadel's entrance stood the outlines of four figures. "We found Shimrra. Let us tear him down."

"I'm going after Ben. Just what is that kid doing here?" The voice of the hidden woman recovered after some time and the twins suddenly recognized the speaker. Before anyone could reply, there was a whir of black, red, and blue and then a pure, eerie silence.


	33. Part 34

Part 34

"Stop!" Sil murmured as the roaring of the Force in her head became unbearable. She drew up walls around her mind in an effort to reduce the chaos, but the walls served only to bounce the feelings, making the princess more nauseated than ever before. As the level of the disturbance skyrocketed far beyond the threshold, Sil dropped the shields she raised like an armload of porcelain dishes.

Sil looked for help from the mental walls that surrounded her mind for as long as she could remember, but rather than helping the princess, those walls seemed to make everything worse, as if they're linked to the source of the disturbance.

The impact from landing on the net of veins tore open Sil's leg wound and the blood once again gushed freely as physical pain spiked up her leg and joined the Force-noises in tormenting the Jedi. In a desperate effort to shunt the pain, Sil took a mental leap. Once again, she found herself in the strange world whose beauty rivaled that of Hapes. She glanced up and saw Jysella disappearing into the sky. Out of instinct, Sil leapt up after the older Jedi.

"Jysella?" Sil addressed the older Jedi as the princess floated up behind the other woman. 

Jysella seemed to ignore Sil and poked her head into the sky, as if to join the innumerable people there. As she gained altitude, a flight suit and a Jedi cloak began to appear on her body and fit over the Yuuzhan Vong implants that appeared on her this time. She whispered as she extended her arms for a long-awaited hug. "Doneeta." 

"Jysella, you're early, but welcome nonetheless." Whispered an aging twi'lek, apparently the one named Doneeta, as he appeared before Jysella. "You use the Force; you're not supposed to be one with it."

"You call yourself heir to the throne and you're back as soon as I send you down? I'm disappointed." A tall, slim woman with a rather angular face, half of which hid under a scarlet veil, appeared before Sil.

The princess wanted to come up with an excuse for being in the realm between the physical world and the Force, but she swallowed her retort and placed a hand on Jysella's shoulder. "Come on, Jysella. We'd better go back."

Jysella barely nodded and followed Sil absentmindedly as she stared longingly at the would-be embrace from which she was torn. Several tears streaked down her glistening cheek, but Sil ignored the tears and dragged the other Jedi down. Thoughts flashed through Sil's gray eyes at lightspeed as the princess changed her heart.

Jysella saw the blurred shape of a Barabbel, most likely one of he Sebatynes, and two beings that she could not identify through her inexplicably blurred vision. It did not matter who was sent down to help her. There was a Barabbel helping her, and he did not deserve to have a mindless shell of a person as a reward for sharing his energy. Jysella's jaw dropped as she watched the helpers, whom Ben commed, treat her blood-soaked body as dead and she quickly dove for the border of the physical plane in order to return to her body and prove herself alive.

_Wake up and get down, Sil!_ The Hapan princess heard a voice in her head, which compelled her to finally follow Jysella back into the physical realm again, and murmured in response. "Daddy?"

The princess stirred slightly, but then stopped. She was warm in her corner of wherever she was and she was free from the pain in the reopened wound on her leg and from the mysterious headaches that had been bouncing around the heavy shields of her mind ever since a few seconds after she was hurled onto the place.

Down beneath the princess, Jacen could feel but not see his daughter. Judging from his Force senses and what he could see, he knew that Sil was perched in a difficult position and almost impossible to remove. The dripping robeskin spoke of serious bleeding, which her pale skin confirmed, and a probe at her shields revealed feelings from the Force.

Jacen recognized the design of the shielding as that of the Queen Mother's and all of a sudden knew why Sil was feeling no comfort from the Force. The mental shields were as old as the one they protected and built to protect the child after the shock of six deaths spread through the Force. Now that the people were alive, the shock was back, except it was in reverse mode and the inversion brought the princess the headaches.

Reaching into the Force, Jacen sought to correct the problem by prying the shields apart slightly and then prodding his daughter's mind until she woke up and showed herself. The Jedi Master heard the noise that followed a clumsy landing and part of Sil appeared before him. Before he could even greet her, he felt a wind rustle and the next thing he knew, he could not see himself.

"What was that for?" Jacen asked.

"Hides us. I borrowed six of these huun cloaks."

"Borrowed these things?"

"Father? I thought you came with Aunt Jaina, Master Veila, and many other Jedi." When Sil finished explaining the recent events to Jacen, she asked and then gestured. "The Supreme Overlord's lair is this way."

"They found the lair. I'm taking you home."

"Not yet, Prince Consort. Hapes has a score to settle with that scarhead and only we can represent our people."

"It's your duty as heir to keep safe."

"I also need to repay my debt while the debtor is alive. A favor done is a favor owed and the people will discredit the woman who is always in debt." Sil argued as she used the Force to spring her body into a broken fluid vessel of the living structure. 

"Very well, you win. Stay with me." Jacen ceded as he followed suit.

"You are a good Prince Consort, worthy of being written into our chronicles alongside the Queen Mothers." 

"Coming from a traditional Hapan, I take it as praise." _But you will not be knighted until you drop that attitude._

When the pair arrived at the entrance of Shimrra's lair after bypassing several layers of security, including an osmotic membrane, Sil stopped and gestured for Jacen to enter alone. As Prince Consort and as Master, it was Jacen's duty to walk in first. 

Inside the lair were two Yuuzhan Vong, one a scared servant and the other the Supreme Overlord, whose massive structure stood taller than even the tallest members of Domain Lah. The lair was dark and the only light sources aside from the Jedi lightsabers were two glaring, maa'it implants that scanned the Jedi challengers.

The large Supreme Overlord heaved himself out of his colossal chair and addressed his opponents in a booming voice. "The Master, the Twins, and the pathetic. You come to die again and it will be my honor to deliver you these deaths."

"You forgot the Hapan." Sil interrupted as she took the cloak off her head and emerged.

"Very well. First, bow to me." The Supreme Overlord grinned as the Jedi began to drop to their knees against their will. Then, suddenly, they all prostrated themselves.

"I don't think so." Answered the old man.

"On behalf of the Hapes Consortium, we refuse to bow." Sil smiled and made a momentary glance at Jacen to clarify whom she meant by 'we'.

"And I thought my Aunt Alema needs a makeover. This guy's her desperation times three and nowhere near as pretty." Commented Tahiri's twi'lek apprentice, who, until the moment, remained a silent observer.

"You will pay for your insolence, brats!" Roared the Supreme Overlord. 

"Me and my big mouth." Muttered the twi'lek boy as a swarm of vicious, Vong-formed predators appeared out of nowhere and began to attack him and Sil.

"Warrior priests, finish these _Jeedai_ off!"

Seeing that her cloak did not hide her from the superior auditory and olfactory senses of the wild beasts, Sil tossed the load into the some distance and allowed her lightsaber to hum to life. The two apprentices twirled as they chopped down their numerous enemies until they were fighting back-to-back against a circle of hungry creatures ranging from shaped bats to bipedal predators native to Zonama Sekot.

"I really don't like bats!" Sil shrieked as she chopped down a juvenile rancor with a vonduun crab shell for a torso.

"Then let's bat 'em down!" Replied the twi'lek boy as he brought down two flyers with a wide, overhead swing that ended abruptly at Sil's drenched hair. A feline creature leapt at the two teens, and the twi'lek reversed his move to bisect it.

"Wow, this is good practice." Sil grumbled as she chopped down a row of predators with several frenzied blows that followed no style whatsoever.

"Yeah, forget everything you've ever learned about using a lightsaber and just chop randomly." Agreed the twi'lek.

On the other side of the fence made from frenzied animals, an army of warrior priests blocked the older Jedi from ever reaching the apprentices. Every Jedi had made a run for the cornered apprentices, but each found himself stuck behind at least three amphistaffs.

At the center of the room, Luke Skywalker, the newly unfrozen leader of the Jedi, batted down weapon after weapon. It was not his favorite task, but if it were done, then those Jedi clans, or groups of trainees, would no longer be forced to hide wherever they could and Ben would not be as desperate as he appeared to be.


	34. Part 35: Revealed

Part 35: Revealed 

Tesar Sebatyne's eyes narrowed as he struggled against his body's urges to drop and take a nap. _Whose brilliant idea was it to lead us all into a carbon-freezing pool?_ The Barabel wondered, scratching his scaly head in an attempt to recall the name of the one who led him to the freezing chamber.

After an indefinite amount of time, the light from the setting sun finally began to warm the Jedi's cold blood and reenergize him. Just as the Barabbel began to revel in the heat, Tahiri, who led the hunt, took him and Tekli into the shady Well of the World Brain, where the mysterious Flames person said Jysella and someone named Crest were.

A hiss escaped the Barabbel's lips as jealousy tugged at him for the first time in perhaps two decades. The Chadra-Fan was fortunate to be warm-blooded and Tahiri's abilities made her the only suitable leader of the hunt. The jealousy soon turned into anger and hints of hatred, for Tesar's species, as a whole, hated to hunt in packs and not to lead the hunts.

"Thiz one smellz blood. They are near." The Barabbel calmly stated after the furry Jedi's pheromones soothed his emotions. Then, without noticing

"This is strange." Murmured Tekli as she knelt down and examined the petite woman leaning against the speeder. "There's a pulse, but there's no Force presence. Her body temperature is thirty-three standard degrees and dropping."

"I think that's Crest. Weirder still, Jysella has maa'vu vines on her fingers and that stuff on the back of her hand's an ooglith replacer." Analyzed Tahiri after studying Jysella's undisguised hands.

"I stopped the blood flow. Should I remove these implants?" Asked the furry healer.

"This one thinkz she iz dead."

"Not yet. Not if you leave my hands alone. So hot." Groaned the weak Jysella as she barely budged two of her fingers. Once Tesar recovered from his surprise, he touched the young woman and began to lend her what energy he had. Her excruciating pain became his and his strength became hers.

"Sure. We'll take you to our medcenter and Tekli will treat you two." Replied Tahiri.

"Get that Nom Anor… Talk to the World Brain." Much to the three rescuers' surprise, Jysella used her borrowed energy to talk rather than heal. "That creep gave me this nasty gut stab and he's got the means to kill almost everyone in this system."

"You're not making any sense." Tekli shook her head as the Barabbel used his reptilian strength to lift up both Crest and Jysella.

"Help Ben catch Nom Anor and save lots of lives! That should make more sense. I'll go back to being a good girl." Jysella gave a ghost of a weak grin before falling into a healing trance.

-scene change-

Sheng Lah closed his purple tinted brown eyes in an effort to concentrate on himself and to see if his Vongsense had recovered enough for him to face the warmistress. Instead of seeing total darkness, the Yuuzhan Vong Jedi saw himself as a child standing with a crowd of friends by a lake on Zonama.

"Scared of drowning, Sheng?" Asked one of the Ferroans at Sheng Lah's side. 

"Nah, not a chance." Hoping to prove himself, Sheng Lah dived into the lake after a short run.

"See ya on the other side!" The Ferroan grinned and dashed along the shore until he stood directly across from his previous position.

"Sure!" The Yuuzhan Vong child managed as he momentarily pulled his head out of the water. The Jedi became puzzled when he suddenly shifted from the Force-shown perspective to that of a flashback. It was good to remember the golden days, the time when Sheng Lah was and was treated as normal, but what did the old rite of passage have to do with any of the questions he wanted answered?

The Jedi was left no time to think when he found his younger self in a tangle of underwater plants. He held his breath for as long as he could as he tried to untie himself, but he was soon forced to break the surface for a breath. He thought his mouth and nose were above the surface of the water when he inhaled, but he was a second too late, for the robust plants had pulled him back beneath the water by the time he reacted to the air.

Water filled the child's lungs and Sheng Lah vividly remembered the desperation he had felt as he struggled to cling to consciousness. Just as his vision began to dim, he saw himself surrounded with light that he did not remember seeing as a child. Sheng Lah realized that the Force was showing him the fortress of light again.

A planet appeared just outside the wall and a hand came from the planet to slightly decrease the density of the light on one wall. When the concentration of the light reached a certain point, the hand reached into the wall and snatched Sheng Lah before pulling him out of the shining castle.

The Yuuzhan Vong's vision snapped back to that of the water and flora that surrounded his younger self and he felt a large, invisible hand lifting him to the surface of the water and squeezing the liquid out of his lungs without hurting him. The flashback, or rather, vision, ended, and Sheng Lah grinned slightly upon realizing the meaning of all of his previous visions and the answers to many of his big questions. At last, the question that haunted his existence for an indefinite amount of time and that had driven him to name his ship _Spectrum of Insight_ had finally been answered.

There was a wall of light blocking the his species from the Jedi's spectrum of the Force and Sekot could undo whatever damage that was done Force-wise, for, in saving Sheng Lah's life, the planet already gave the Force back to Sheng Lah when it saw him drowning. 

When Sheng Lah finally opened his eyes, he felt his Vongsense washing over him like an ocean tide and knew that he could face whatever was to happen when he would meet Kodachi Cha.


	35. Part 36: First Tide Rising

Part 36: First Tide Rising

In Shimrra's throne room, sarcastic insults flew as lightsabers clashed against amphistaffs, sending pieces of flesh and Vonglife flying from time to time. In one end of the oversized and usually capacious chamber, a Hapan princess and a Twi'lek did their best to stand their ground against a horde of unpredictable wildlife-turned attackers.

As the princess swung her silver saber to and fro, trying vainly to stop the advances of a hybrid of a monduul and a crystal snake. As the noisy creature crept closer and closer, fear began to slow the princess' movements considerably. The monster was on the verge of striking when the Twi'lek brought his weapon down in a lethal beheading for his current opponent and stabbed Sil's attackers with the grace of a professional dancer. 

The Twi'lek's smooth lekku whipped Sil's face as she watched his move, impressed by the occasional, spectacular male. First the memorable lines and then the… Sil shook her head as she caught a glint in his green eyes. He was her partner by force and that was what partners and allies were supposed to do.

"Down, you ugly freak!" Grinned the Twi'lek as he kicked the creature to make certain that it fell. When its massive pieces hit the ground, he spun around and gave Sil a high-five before returning to his previous position behind her back. As his hand left the princess', she felt a lingering sensation. He was definitely the best partner she's ever had, if she's ever had a good partner in any event. Sil shook her head as her heart began to beat faster. A partner was just that, nothing but a temporary ally until a common goal was achieved. Then they would be ordinary apprentices again.

-scene change-

On the other side of the battlefield, the warrior-priests pressed closer and closer to Luke Skywalker despite his skilled moves. To both his sides and behind him, Jedi were cramped and squished as they avoided death by amphistaffs. One warrior thought to bisect the person behind Luke, but the other Jedi moved aside, allowing for the sharp edge of the weapon to descend down the narrow space between the two Jedi's backs.

Luke, who caught onto the news, temporarily diverted his lightsaber from his current opponent and stuck it into the armpit of the amphistaff's wielder while she was still stunned from her failure. Then, as quickly as he downed the woman, he turned his attention back to his previous opponent, a lanky warrior who barely managed to fit into his strained armor.

Elite as the Yuuzhan Vong was, he was still not only young but also clumsy due to his ill-fit attire and he easily fell to the Jedi Master before him. Suddenly, with the warrior-priest reduced to a heap on the floor, Luke had a clear path to Shimrra's throne. Taking his rare opportunity, the Jedi Master dived for the throne, but just as his feet left the coral flooring, the center of gravity shifted from the direction of the planet's core to the membrane and Luke abruptly found himself on the verge of exiting the room.

From his elevated viewpoint in midair, Luke's sight confirmed the ripples he had felt through the Force as he attempted to readjust the gravity and at the same time take out the heavy warriors who slid past him. Just a few meters and half a dozen enemies away, sweat glimmered on Jacen's face and in his beard as the Hapan Prince Consort, with the help of Jaina through their twin bond, was concentrating on the dovin basal with his Vongsense and, at the same time, dueling a warrior. The younger Jedi's presence then flared up in the Force like a spark.

_Let's end this. Take him!_ As Luke's eyes met his nephew's, he heard Jacen plead through the Force as the younger Jedi Master had never done so before. Then, there was nothing but an absence where Jacen's presence once was.

"The meld… We're falling apart." Came Jaina's muffled from beneath a pile of warriors near a wall after Luke felt several ripples in the Force, all of which originated from the other Jedi. It was as if every mind and presence were wavering.

A look of ghastly horror lit up the Supreme Overlord's face, but before anyone could decipher the omen, every object in the room was suspended in midair like objects in computer simulations. Then, as if drawn in by a centripetal force, everyone, Jedi and Yuuzhan Vong alike, found himself or herself sailing towards Shimrra.

The dovin basal at the base of Shimrra's throne began to ripple, and then shake and quiver as it ate whatever it could find, namely the foot of an unfortunate warrior. The warrior raised an amphistaff to impale the creature, but before he could, the dovin basal imploded on itself, leaving the foot and lower leg irreversibly shrunken.

The warrior glanced up and saw Luke flying toward him, so he raised his serpentine weapon in anticipation of the glory that would accompany killing a renowned Jedi. However, Luke, who was ready, not only met the attack, but also twisted it upwards with a deflecting parry and went on to attack the weak point of the armor at the armpit.

Two more of Shimrra's elite guards dragged themselves into Luke's trajectory in an attempt to defend their Supreme Overlord, but to no avail, for the aging Jedi merely kicked them both aside and into the waiting weapons of two of the surviving Jedi. Then, using a combination of momentum and the Force, Luke launched himself at the large Supreme Overlord and prepared to slash the overlord's throat. 

As was expected, the gargantuan Shimrra rose from his throne as he met Luke's attack with his thick, genetically altered amphistaff. His mocking voice boomed throughout the throne room. "Pathetic _Jeedai_ god. Stone you were and stone you shall always be! I will do this galaxy, the holy land that you gave me, one last favor by sending the giver where he belongs!"

Luke wanted to reply, but suddenly received a blurry impression of pain through the Force. Although the touch disappeared as quickly as it came, he knew that to be Ben's presence. Somehow, the kid was hurt and doing and good job of hiding it, only that he was hiding from the wrong people.

-scene change-

A feeling of disgust rose in Sil as the Twi'lek before her fell after taking a blow meant for the princess. To say the least, it was embarrassing for a Hapan woman to have an outsider save her life. The body hit the ground and the princess was all of a sudden uncertain as to what or how she felt or how she was supposed to react. Deadly emotions were rising up at her throat and rational thoughts rained down to quell the fires of emotion. She took a glance at the incoming enemies and then at the fallen friend. One side of her Hapan core wanted to leave the cooling body in return for the embarrassment and the other wanted to give him the funeral rites of a fallen hero.

Sil's gray eyes darted to the enemies again. Was she to carry on the fight and be spat upon for leaving the fallen behind or would she be weak and admit that a male had saved her by performing funeral rites? In both choices, there seemed to be political disgrace. She realized that she had no time to think as the warrior prepared to lash out at the unprotected princess. Hapans hated not having the time to thoroughly think out their decisions and Sil was no exception, but she made a hasty decision based on estimates and hoped for the best.

"Paccus dor, ré'o n'mor." Sil whispered as she raised her lightsaber in a short-lived salute. Her partner deserved the full death chant, but the abbreviated version would have to suffice for the duration of the battle. For a moment she wanted to kneel beside her savior's body and plant… The princess shook away the thought and turned her attention to the problem looming over her head.

The amphistaff above Sil's head began to descend, and the princess was forced to deliver an overhead block. The girl staggered, but without losing her lightsaber's contact with the Yuuzhan Vong weapon, she spun around in a series of Hapan dance steps and radically altered the angle of the blades' intersection. She took one hand off the hilt to extend her outreach and the warrior immediately began to take advantage of the mistake.

The Yuuzhan Vong struck out at the sides that Sil left unprotected and the princess was forced to totter backwards to preserve herself. She hoped to be able to return her right hand to the handle of the weapon, but the chance never came, for the misstep caused her to trip over her friend's fallen body. 

"Foolish girl. Your pitiful dance is of no use to you." The warrior gloated in a low, rumbling voice as he pushed his next move. The princess tripped over her own foot, accelerating the speed of her fate.

-scene change-

From the other side of the room, the older Jedi watched as the remaining apprentice fell into a crumpled heap, her head landing on the boy's belly. The Masters had overestimated the teens.

"No." The Sword of the Jedi groaned as she slid backwards and gained a new opponent. Her hands were already bloody from grabbing and turning aside amphistaffs, and now she had another one to deal with. She raised her free hand to bat aside the weapon, or so she appeared to. A moment later, a warm stud landed in the woman's hand and a silver blade joined the bloody clash.

Jacen, meanwhile, stood his guard behind Jaina's back. He felt torrents of rage like he had not felt since he was made to believe that little Murra was killed. The raw power of the Force bolted through his fingers as if he was once again confronting the pirates whom he believed to have taken his second daughter, for nobody attacked either of his princesses and lived. Only that this time, the power surge was stronger than any Jacen had called upon himself before and that he was not going to bother with wiping the memories of those who witnessed his wrath. He shook his head. He only erased Ben's memory because his young cousin was not meant to and did not deserve to watch a massacre.

The Jedi Master first felt a ghost of the sensation when Anakin died and thought that he brought out its full powers when his younger daughter was 'killed', but those two incidents were barely sensations compared to the present wave of rage.

The emerald green saber hacked several Yuuzhan Vong to pieces within seconds, but its wielder hardly noticed. All that Jacen cared was that he would breach Shimrra's flesh-filled chasm and reach the former heir of Hapes. More bodies fell as Jacen's powers grew. Suddenly, he felt a small dot in either the Force or his Vongsense, and not caring which sense it was, Jacen reached for the dot above him. The higher he ascended, the more his thoughts and consciousness mingled into the surroundings, but he fought to hold on to himself.

The Force sang through Jacen as if he was coordinating one of the largest mind melds in history, but the Jedi had become far more powerful than ever before. Yet, Jacen always knew that there was something in the Force beyond his current level of power, some truth or weapon beckoning for him, waiting to be used. It was as if every previous battle meld and every scroll found on Ossus built towards and pointed to something that was yet to be discovered, or perhaps rediscovered, about the Force. However, before Jacen found the necessary level of power, his presence, or what was left of it, slammed into a barrier.

"No, anytime but now!" Snarled Jacen under his steaming breath as he slit the throats of two Yuuzhan Vong in his path. At the moment, the Jedi needed the knowledge to win the battle and he needed the power for his daughter's sake. Why did the Force have to deny him his request at that particular moment? His anger rose to unimaginable levels and his stretched mind suddenly put itself back together, seemingly hovering over the other participants of the massive mind meld. Once Jacen realized that his anger brought him focus, he readily reached out as far as he could into the Force with his raw emotions and found himself on the brink of discovering some fundamental, forgotten truth. The unrelenting currents of the Force washed through Jacen as he delivered his revenge and approached his fallen daughter. 

However, just before Jacen could attain the next level of power, Jaina withdrew from the meld, halving the powers that he just gained.

-scene change-

Jaina dared not to look back at her twin as she blocked herself from their bond and concentrated on Shimrra's throne. She did not know why, but she had a feeling that something was horribly wrong. _It's not as if anything doesn't go wrong._ The woman reminded herself upon realizing that she, Jacen, and Luke were the only survivors of the pack of Jedi. Still, it upset and scared her when Jacen went on his wild streaks, no matter how logical the cause. A part of her wanted for Jacen to adopt her philosophy of abstaining from attachment, even from those of family members, but another part of her told her that to do so would be taking her brother from her.

The short, Jedi woman scolded herself before embracing her cold, calculating shell and discarding all emotion in order to simultaneously battle and analyze whatever could be wrong about Shimrra's throne.

-scene change-

"Incompetent fools!" Kodachi Cha nearly roared as she pored over the latest reports from battle. "Grutchins do not eat carrion eaters!"

"Neither do our blaze bugs lie, Lady Kodachi!" Yelped the frightened seer. "Great warrior, please, don't be…" A stab to the chest ended the desperate pleas before the seer could finish.

"I won't be merciful, if that's what you wanted to ask. I have been in this galaxy since I was a child, yet the infidel concept of mercy is still foreign to me." Growled Kodachi Cha, whose amphistaff-wielding arm was still raised. She then withdrew her bloody, serpentine weapon and turned to face a tall, unknown warrior with the mark of Domain Lah on his body. 

"Speak, underling." Kodachi Cha huffed as her weapon retracted and coiled around her forearm.

"I come to report that Domain Lah is unable to…"

"UNABLE to do as I commanded? Take this message back to that idiot Qu'rang Lah." The angered Kodachi Cha thrust the head of her amphistaff at the messenger's chest, but he brought his own weapon up to intercede. Somehow sensing that Kodachi Cha's amphistaff was one of the new, mutant breeds, the other warrior dropped his weapon before the woman could kill it. Then he dodged the attack with speed that few could match.

"My domain's worldship fell asleep." Argued the young messenger as he ducked Kodachi Cha's jabs.

"I give your bunch half a planet and this is what I get in return?" Demanded the woman as she made another attempt at the younger warrior, but once again, missed by a millimeter.

"I had a feeling you might do tha-AH!." Screamed the young warrior as he accidentally kicked the warmaster's amphistaff in an attempt to back up.

"What? Can't stand the holy pain? Serves you right to die by venom." Grinned the woman. Realizing his mistake, Sheng Lah quickly closed his mouth and brought his foot up to kick Kodachi, who stepped aside and allowed for the younger warrior to nearly overbalance himself. Just as the man's blue leg slid past her body, Kodachi raised an amphistaff to cut it. However, just before the blade could hit the skin, Sheng Lah maneuvered himself so that he would just miss amputation by mere millimeters and landed back on his feet.

As Sheng Lah balanced himself, one of his hands moved in a swift stroke too fast for Kodachi Cha to follow, but she caught sight of a symbol that horrified her. Just beneath the tattoo of Domain Lah was that of Domain Yu, a relatively unknown Domain that few warriors knew about. Having been forced to learn the names of various Supreme Commanders, Kodachi Cha was one of the few. She then gasped upon remembering the information that her intendant spy had given her. Before anyone could perceive a change in emotion, however, she became angrier than before. That was no ordinary messenger; that was the traitorous Jedi who dared to come under Yuuzhan Vong skin.

Kodachi Cha's guesses were verified when Sheng Lah, albeit hesitantly, activated a glowing purple blade to intersect her attack. Even though the warmistress held the most advanced of weapons, her choices were limited to experiments that survived, which meant that she could not have the ray-deflecting 'staff that died within a day of its creation. She channeled her frustration into the next series of attacks that she launched, which served to drive the Jedi towards the sole corner of the round command room.

"I am merely stalling you." Sheng Lah whispered as he hopped over one of Kodachi's swings like a jump rope and then deflected the upward blow. However, just as quickly as Sheng Lah was able to defend himself, the opponent threw another jab aimed for his chest by taking one hand off the amphistaff and grabbing the nearest couffee.

"WHAT? Nobody stalls Kodachi Cha!" With that, the woman attacked with twice the former vigor until Sheng, in one massive twist, knocked the couffee from her hand and forced her amphistaff down to knee level. He then moved in for the kill by attempting to slash through her neck, but one of the woman's implants stopped his weapon.

"Didn't you know, _Jeedai_ traitor? The shapers had made me invincible." Kodachi Cha grinned ferociously as one blow after another glanced off her body. She was glad that she had chosen all of the implants for defense when she was elevated to her current rank, which meant that various creatures replace every square centimeter of her skin. When the shocked Sheng Lah's grip on his lightsaber began to slip, she added. "Unfaithful traitor, thank the gods for showing the shapers this knowledge in the last days of my predecessor!"

"Do it, and I will spare you. Not only will I spare you, but I shall make you the greatest of my servants! You will be pardoned." The asymmetrical warrior woman roared after her opponent appeared to back off and hesitate.

"No, milady. Contrary to what you say, I can't be a traitor." When the almost blue Sheng Lah finally replied, his voice was strong and adamant. After Kodachi Cha's proud boast, he could not help but scan her appearance carefully and draw back in disgust as he noticed the unnatural ugliness that frequently lined her once-beautiful face. Somehow, most Yuuzhan Vong considered Cha's face to be a divine gift, but Sheng Lah could not bring himself to agree and found the creatures that replaced her skin revolting to the last.

"Grr… in that case, may the gods devour you twice a day!" The implant-covered woman snarled as she renewed her onslaught of amphistaff assaults, coming closer and closer to Sheng Lah's skin with each strike until its fangs hovered dangerously by his unprotected neck.

"Kill me, then. Yun-Yammka will just send another Jedi messenger to you in my place." _I hope._ Sheng Lah added silently as he prepared to embrace death amidst the roomful of burnt creatures that fell casualty to the duel between him and Kodachi Cha.


	36. Part 37: Death

Note: This is not what's supposed to happen, but I really can't go on with this fic because if I couldn't figure out something for four months, I won't be able to write more. This is probably the best I can give the characters.

Possible Part 37: The End of Every Character Who's Ever Appeared in The Final Battle

"She's too far gone." Reported Cilghal about Jysella as Tahiri and Tesar set the Jedi woman down in the medbay of an Alliance ship. "The very implants that saved her months ago have drained her too much."

"What about this girl? She'z helped us, too." Asked Tesar.

"There…" Before the Jedi healer could finish, a pale lieutenant interrupted.

"The Vong have broken through! Hull breach in…" Before the officer could finish, every unsuspecting body aboard the ship was sucked out into space as the vessel erupted into flames.

-scene change-

Out in the asteroid belt, Valin tried not to curse as he fended for himself against a hopelessly astronomical number of Yuuzhan Vong vessels. He knew that convincing Ben Skywalker's rogue followers to conform to Alliance plans was a bad idea, but apparently, opponents of his ideas had no clue about the element of surprise.

"Gah!" One pilot screamed a dying scream. With that, the Yuuzhan Vong had brought the combined numbers of Alliance and rogue fighters down to less than ten. However, two more starfighters exploded under the heavy barrage of plasma fire and within another second, Valin's wingmate followed suit. Valin lost count of the casualties as the number dropped from six to four, and then to two. All he felt were successive disturbances in the Force that acted like punches in the stomach before he, too, joined every pilot who's been sent into Coruscanti space for the battle.

-scene change-

Ben Skywalker grinned in triumph as he finally caught up with and stopped Nom Anor, but the grin became a bitter, tortured groan when he saw and felt each and every one of his friends die. As he dropped to his knees, he felt something hit him and threw a sidelong glance at his shoulders to see Nom Anor's plarin bol poison seeping through his clothes. It was pain layered upon more pain and totally unbearable.

As darkness began to grab at Ben, the Jedi used the Force to slow the toxin's work as he stabbed the intendant in the chest with one of his half-length lightsabers. Then, he felt a presence reaching and hunting for his, trying to get him. Unable to think clearly, Ben decided that the presence, whose owner had just arrived on the battle scene, was that of an enemy and attacked with both of his sabers.

The other person returned the gesture, but was sluggish, as if this person had just gotten out of carbonfreeze, and Ben's attacks slipped past the opponent's guard and into the person's midsection. He heard something from the person's mouth, but was too delirious to understand and lost too much control over his limbs to stop himself from falling on what the Force told him was the opponent's lightsaber blade.

As the red-haired boy entered the Nether world of the Force, he realized the worst mistake in his judgment. The fact the he had felt this person through the Force should have been a clue as to whose side the supposed enemy was on.

-scene change-

A chorus of 'do'rik vong pratte's echoed throughout Domain Lah as the worldship finally took flight, but their cheers soon turned out to be premature, for an Imperial ship veered out of control and rammed into the domain worldship, sending it sailing helplessly toward Shimrra's palace.

As the remainder of the heretical Shamed Ones watched from the ground, one muscular leader by the name of Hul Rapuung rose from the crowd.

"The _Jeedai_ have once again opened the gates of death. Follow me, if you wish not to die under Domain Lah's crushing oppression." He said just before ramming an amphistaff into his heart.

Within a second, Taan led all of the other Shamed Ones to follow suit rather than be crushed under the failing worldship. A minute later, the combined ships crashed into Shimrra's palace, obliterating its every occupant and guest. Then, as if a part of some spectacular show, the Well of the World Brain collapsed upon the living computer that managed Coruscant.

As the head of the Shaper caste struggled to stay balanced after the earthquake the Shimrra's chamber's destruction caused, he realized that Domain's Lah's resident shaper was none other than his lost cousin, the rightful occupant of his position. Then he knew that when Qelah Kwaad died, all hope truly died and wasted no time in swallowing the nearest pitcher full of sulfuric acid.

-scene change-

In Sekotian space, Tenel Ka used all of the discipline she could muster to withhold her devastated scream. She thought that the time Jacen had cut himself off was bad, but it was heaven compared to the torture she was under then. Even though she was in the Chief of State's presence and honored to have him aboard her flagship, Tenel Ka had to excuse herself to avoid embarrassment. "There is a disturbance in the Force. I must meditate."

As the warrior woman watched the battle from her private chambers in the_ Rock_ _Dragon_, which was docked in a bay on her flagship, she realized that there was not a glimmer of hope left for her ship. Her consort and her heir were both dead and it was impossible for her ship to not fall within the next minute. In times of such tactical disadvantage, there was only one thing left for a Dathomiri warrior-queen.

Even though Tenel Ka did not want to, she reached for the Holo-projector and hoped that her remaining daughter would not hold anything against her for what she was about to do. She had sacrificed herself to Hapes and was about to do the same thing to her remaining child, who was like her in almost every aspect. That would put the child's soon-to-be revealed existence at immeasurable risk, but it had to be done for Hapes and the child was a Solo, which meant that she'd most likely survive.

"This is Queen Mother Tenel Ka Djo speaking to the people of Hapes from a most dire position. My consort and my heir have both fallen. My last command to you is to pass my crown to my second daughter, whom you will find on Dathomir with Kirana Ti and Allaya Djo. My advisor Lady AlGray will be her regent. Generals, concentrate all fire on the nearest worldships. Do not allow for our defense to be breached." As Tenel Ka ended the transmission, she lit seven candles and began a Dathomiri ritual that she never expected to see. Since she would soon die no matter what she did, all that she could do as a witch of the Singing Mountain Clan was to leave like a defeated but honorable woman. It was the only way to remain true to her blood at the inevitable end of her reign.

There, in the dark quarters, Tenel Ka knelt as seven traditional candles encircled her thickly built, muscular form. A layer of fat that resulted from two pregnancies served to only enhance her appearance of strength, but inside, she felt anything but strong.

As the ship began to rock from taking hit after hit, Tenel Ka killed the first candle, the one for hope, for not even the most brilliant and impressive display of tactical knowledge and bravery could stop the ship from dying. Next came the candle of strength, for both Tenel Ka's strength to endure and the ship's batteries were depleted. Then the one that stood for light went out as Tenel Ka continued to chant a traditional spell and after a few more seconds and another blast, the candle that represented sisterhood died. In the space where the Hapan ships struggled against the Yuuzhan Vong onslaught, there was nothing but dark loneliness, especially with Jacen dead. The next two were love and hate, for all that Tenel Ka had ever loved were dead and she could not allow herself to hate if she was to be a true sister of the clan.

Then came the largest and last of the candles, the one that stood for the fire of life. After drawing a deep breath, Tenel Ka chanted the spell that would smother the last flame and summoned her lightsaber to her right hand immediately afterward. As explosions rocked the ship and deck after deck sublimated into metallic gas, the witch activated her saber and finished the ritual with a snap-hiss.

-scene change-

"My good daughter, you've come to watch your mother in her greatest moment of glory. Perhaps I should let you live." Kodachi Cha grinned ferally as she spotted her daughter watching her fight with Sheng Lah. She knew that there were more viewers, but she did not bother to look for them. With a violent thrust of the amphistaff, she ended the tale of the Yuuzhan Vong Jedi.

"NOOOOOOOOOOO!" Ona Cha shouted and lunged for her mother with an inexpert attack, but Kodachi merely drew out her bloodied amphistaff and brought it up to meet her daughter's. The younger Cha found footing on an overturned console, but Kodachi Cha soon changed that, sending her daughter sprawling on the floor with a twist of her weapon. For a moment, she contemplated killing Ona on the spot, but decided to prolong the fight for sport and let Ona crawl back up. Then the two mutant amphistaffs met again and Ona attacked with blow after angry blow until her mother brushed her away. Then, with a sneer, Kodachi Cha ended her daughter's miserable life.

"Nom Anor and Shimrra are dead!" Reported Kodachi Cha's old spy as his team hid behind him. It was the bunch that helped to nab the Hapan girl.

"You dare to interrupt my moment of glory?" The warrior woman asked. Without waiting for an answer, she slew the entire team of shapers and spies before rampaging down and outside the command tower, where Jedi and Alliance soldiers were fending against the few warriors that remained alive.

An implant fell off as a blaster bolt from a soldier hit Kodachi Cha, but she did not care as she battled on against the enemies, who fell in pairs as she stabbed left and right until she reached the last survivor, a Jedi. With a fierce and proud thrust, she took down the last of the resistance, but only to fall to her knees afterward. It was then that she noticed the amount of injuries and missing implants that she had accumulated. As pain spike up her now bare back, she threw a glance over her shoulder and saw that one of her eager warriors had accidentally hit her with all of his thud bugs in his enthusiasm to kill the last Jedi. Had she fallen into the gods' disfavor and earned such punishments?

"Kan abar." She cursed as she dropped to the earth beneath her knees, dead.

-scene change-

Jagged Fel attempted to fill in the gaps of the Hapan defense with his ships, as was originally planned, but soon found his way blocked.

"Hello, this is Supreme Commander Sla Tsun. Prepare to die." A massively scarred, barely feminine face appeared on one of the screens.

"No." He replied from his flagship, but was too late, for they both had already began opening fire on each other.

"Warning. Power reserves ninety-five percent depleted. Destruction imminent." One of the officers warned, but the gunners continued to fire at the Tsun ship until it erupted into a large, plasma-generated explosion. Then, much to everyone's horror, the superstructure of the worldship slammed into the Chiss vessel, sending both towards the wall of Hapan defenses that protected Zonama Sekot. As Jag hit the crumpling, metal wall behind him, he felt no more until his awoke in Davin's embrace. When he saw Jaina and Wyn standing beside them with his lost daughter, he knew that the worst had happened.

-scene change-

From 'below', the living planet watched in horror as ship after ship rained upon its surface like asteroids and decimated the biosphere. Then, like the creatures on the surface, Sekot died as it lost its connection with the Magister.

The comlink in Leia's hand dropped to the _Falcon's _floor as the former Chief of State felt the disturbances in the Force. The Noghri bodyguards, or at least the two that remained, immediately rushed to her, but they could not comfort her. Jacen, Jaina, Luke, Jag, and many more were suddenly gone. She could scream indefinitely, but that was cut short when the aftershocks of Zonama's destruction tore the old ship apart.

-And so everyone died in a really bad way.-

Kan abarmeat maggot according to Star By Star


End file.
